England vs Kosovo: Euro 2020 qualifier offers something Gareth Southgate’s side haven’t faced so far – a true test

Kosovo are far and away the second-best side in Group A. The Three Lions won’t just play a team on form – they will face an emotional force

It is something Gareth Southgate is all too aware of, but may catch a lot of people out. The England manager will hope that doesn’t apply to his players, and has been working hard to prevent it.

Because at St Mary's on Tuesday, after a qualification group that has so far been one of the most forgiving the country has ever faced, those same players will face a talented Kosovo team that won’t allow an inch.

“I think Tuesday’s game will be completely different,” Southgate said after England’s latest thrashing, this time a 4-0 over Bulgaria. “I think they are a really good side.”

Kosovo have already put paid to the Bulgarians in Sofia with a 3-2 win themselves, and followed that with a 2-1 comeback over Czech Republic, to go clear in second place of the group and also make it 15 consecutive games unbeaten.

England, however, aren’t just facing a team on form. They are facing an emotional force.

That has been one undeniable part of Kosovo’s rise, that they hope will end with a first ever qualification at Euro 2020.

It is that prize, that international proclamation of what they are as a young nation, that electrically charges every match they play. It is similarly as if, having found their feet in international football, they began to run and just kept going.

The Nations League was just the right setting that allowed them to get a sense of themselves against teams of supposedly similar ability, and then saw them pick up more and more momentum to get bigger and better results.

An initial 0-0 against Azerbaijan - after nine consecutive competitive defeats in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers - became two-goal wins over the Faroe Islands and Malta, which became five-goal wins, which became encouraging draws against Bulgaria and Montenegro and finally crucial victories over such sides… until now, their biggest fixture to date.

“They’ve got that passion of a relatively newly formed nation, which reminds me a little bit of when Croatia came through,” Southgate said on Saturday. “I think they will come full of belief. Their record is outstanding at the moment. They’ll be full of confidence. It’s a really good test for us.”

It’s what England have missed so far in this group, that has just seen them cruise through in second gear.

There’s none of that for Kosovo. Every game is such an event.

Another large part of that is because their specific situation has allowed them to avoid the factors that have led to such drastic drop-offs and declines for countries like Bulgaria and Czech Republic.

Due to the history of the country and the circumstances that surrounded their gradual breakaway from Serbia, around 80% of the players are from migrant backgrounds that saw them develop in the wealthiest western European countries.

Kosovo will present England with a challenge (REUTERS) (Reuters)

That can be seen in the level of their clubs, which is much higher than Bulgaria’s.

Kosovo have captain Samir Ujkani at Torino, Amir Rrahmani at Verona, Florent Hadergjonaj at Huddersfield Town, Bersant Selina at Swansea City, Valon Berisha at Lazio, Atdhe Nuhiu at Sheffield Wednesday and - among the most dangerous - Fenerbahce striker Vedat Muriqi.

This can mostly be seen, however, in their football.

Kosovo just have a good European team of the level you’d usually expect Bulgaria and Czech Republic.

This is why they’ve beaten them.

This is why they represent such a danger for England, even with Milot Rashica and Arber Zeneli - two hugely exciting wide players at Werder Bremen and Reims, respectively - injured.

“They’re missing two super wingers, but they still have depth,” Southgate said. “Tactically, they’re very good.”

They’re genuinely a level beyond anything England have faced so far, which will itself come as a surprise to anyone who just looked at the group and saw the old names.

These are a new name, reaching new levels.

It is thereby not quite the match for experimentation for Southgate.

It is a game where he needs his players to be exact, or they may get caught out.