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The Three Lions are not through yet in the qualifiers for the upcoming World Cup, as the Poles are only three points behind with two matchdays to go. The fact that they only drew twice recently could still take revenge in the absolute “word case”.
That’s why it’s all the more important to put in a concentrated performance against the Albanians in the last home match of the year. Even if they slip up, they are likely to finish first in the group, but an embarrassment would do a lot of damage to the image of the European champions.
The home side should nevertheless be warned, as the number 63 in the FIFA world rankings has been convincing all along the line in the current qualifying competition. Even second place is still possible, so the southern Europeans should by no means be dismissed as underdogs.
But what can we actually expect from the upcoming match? Of course, the odds for England against Albania point to a clear advantage for the hosts. However, the British have recently slackened off a bit, so the upcoming match will by no means be a walk in the park.
We are inclined to place a risk tip – especially since the odds are outstanding for this one.
England – Statistics & current form
With five wins in a row and a goal difference of 17:1, the European runners-up have made a brilliant start to the qualifiers. It is therefore not surprising that they are on course to win the group.
However, the winning streak recently came to an end in the autumn and the initial sovereignty was also somewhat lost. Therefore, is a bet on the favourite for England vs. Albania the right choice at all?
Three games – just one win
Both Poland and Hungary “only” managed a 1-1 draw in the last two months. Against Hungary, who are only fourth in Group I, Southgate’s team even lost points on home soil for the first time in the current qualifying campaign.
What is your strategy against the surprise team of the group? From our point of view, it’s important to avoid embarrassment. Even with just one point, the first place in the group would be more or less fixed, because on the last matchday we have to play the underdog San Marino.
Will Southgate spare his superstars?
Since a win is expected on the last matchday, it is quite possible that the British will play in slow gear on Friday. Already recently, the offense acted a little foam-braked, we therefore do not expect a Kantersieg. Accordingly, handicap bets are not recommended in our view.
Since the odds on England against Albania are in no way worthwhile, we tend to go for somewhat more daring betting variants. For example, we see a bet on both sides to score as worthwhile, as the 1966 world champions have conceded twice recently, but have always scored themselves in the current competition.
Predicted England line-up:
Pickford – Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw – Foden, Rice, Mount – Sancho, Watkins, Graelish
Last matches played by England:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. I
10/12 2021 – England 1 – 1 Hungary
10/09 2021 – Andorra 0 – 5 England
09/08 2021 – Poland 1 – 1 England
09/05 2021 – England 4 – 0 Andorra
09/02 2021 – Hungary 0 – 4 England
Albania – Statistics & current form
Who would have expected this? Of course, the Albanian team has already proved itself time and again in recent years. But it was not necessarily foreseeable that they would now be able to keep up with established football giants like Poland and Hungary.
At the moment, they are only two points off second place in the table, which would at least give them a theoretical chance of qualifying. In order for the gap to Poland to be less than three points before the last matchday, a sensation against England is needed.
Good away record gives hope
Before their last away game, the “red and blacks” have three wins from four away matches. But the most difficult task comes at the end, because at Wembley the cherries hang high.
It’s just as well that the two victories against Hungary in the autumn gave them a good boost of self-confidence. Now, however, a completely different calibre of player will be in action.
Overall, it should be noted that even against the group favourites England and Poland, close games have been forced so far. So why not risk a bet on X for England vs. Albania? After all, you don’t lose much with a small stake.
Scoring against European runners-up too?
Apart from their last competitive match, when they lost narrowly 1-0 to Poland, the team coached by Italian coach Edoardo Reja has always scored in their last six matches. In addition, they have scored at least one goal in every away match in the World Cup qualifiers so far.
It is quite possible that the men from the Balkans will score for only the second time in history against the team from the island. Whether it will ultimately be enough to secure a sensational point remains to be seen.
Predicted line-up of Albania:
Berisha – Hysaj, Ismajli, Kumbulla, Veseli, Trashi – Roshi, Ramadani, Bare, Uzuni – Manaj
Last matches played by Albania:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. I
10/12 2021 – Albania 0 – 1 Poland
10/09 2021 – Hungary 0 – 1 Albania
09/08 2021 – Albania 5 – 0 San Marino
09/05 2021 – Albania 1 – 0 Hungary
09/02 2021 – Poland 4 – 1 Albania
England – Albania Direct comparison / H2H balance
To date, the two nations have faced each other five times on the pitch, with the British coming out on top on all occasions. On the island, the Albanians are still without a goal. Will that change this time, or will the favourites deliver another dry-as-dust performance?
England – Albania Tip
Will Southgate’s boys beat the Balkan side once again or will the underdogs pull off the upset? With the home side not necessarily under pressure, the coach could field a B eleven this time around, which would drastically increase the visitors’ chances. But since the number 63 in the world rankings has been convincing lately, we are predicting a close match for England vs. Albania anyway.
In the end, we think it makes sense to bet on both sides to score, as the odds on England vs. Albania are outstanding and the visitors have been very accurate away from home so far. If you are willing to take a high risk, you are probably best advised to bet on X, because a draw cannot be completely ruled out in our opinion.
