England [secured a 3-0 win over Latvia on Monday night](https://www.managingmadrid.com/2025/3/24/24393254/two-for-two-for-jude-bellingham-and-co) at Wembley in the second matchday of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Under new head coach Thomas Tuchel, the Three Lions recorded their second consecutive victory, following a 2-0 win against Albania in Tuchel’s debut. While the scoreline suggested a comfortable triumph, the performance itself left much to be desired.
Jude Bellingham was shown a yellow card before halftime, and his aggressive challenge in the second half could have resulted in a second booking. Tuchel opted to substitute Bellingham to prevent the risk of a red card, a decision he elaborated on in his post-match comments.
“The first \[yellow card\] was a bit harsh,” Tuchel said. “The second one was possible. We would have felt it was a bit harsh, but it would have turned the game upside down. We immediately decided to bring him off.”
The German coach emphasized the importance of managing the situation pragmatically. He also commented on Bellingham’s physical condition, and spoke about the toll the previous match against Albania had taken on the midfielder.
“Overall, you could see the enormous effort Jude put in in the first match. You could see he wasn’t feeling as fresh. That’s my observation. I’m not sure he would agree,” Tuchel explained. “I didn’t want to take any risks and took him off.”