England Under-21s got off to a winning start in Kazakhstan thanks to goals from Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri and captain Jobe Bellingham.
Lee Carsley’s double European champions began qualification for the 2027 finals with a routine win in Almaty.
Only two of the side who started the 3-2 win over Germany in June’s final featured as the U21 cycle starts again but Carsley will be pleased with how his side played.
They took the lead on 18 minutes when Divin Mubama laid the ball back to Nwaneri and he hit a cracking left-foot shot into the back of the net.
Captain Bellingham, who moved from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund this summer, doubled the lead soon after with a powerful header.
The Young Lions are next in action next month, heading to Moldova in October.
