England look to maintain their perfect record in the World Cup Qualifiers when they face Albania this weekend.
17:00 Sunday
Albania, sitting second in the World Cup Qualification UEFA group, host group leaders England at the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana on Sunday.
Albania vs England Form & Head to Head
Albania come into this match on the back of a 1-0 away win against Andorra. The Eagles are currently enjoying a eight-game unbeaten run. Winning their last five.
England secured a 2-0 victory at home against Serbia in their last match. The Three Lions have been in fine form winning all of their WCQ games.
The last time these two sides met, England emerged victorious with a 2-0 win.
In the previous five encounters, England have dominated, winning all five matches against Albania.
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Albania vs England Predicted Lineups
Albania (4-2-3-1): Strakosha; Mitaj, Djimsiti, Ajeti, Hysaj; Shehu, Asllani; Hoxha, Laçi, Broja; Manaj
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Reilly, Stones, Konsa, James; Henderson, Wharton; Eze, Bellingham, Foden; Kane
Albania vs England Team News
- Sylvinho is expected to keep faith with the side that secured a play-off berth in Andorra. Elseid Hysaj should start as he moves closer to a century of caps, while Armando Broja and Rey Manaj continue as the main attacking outlets. Kristjan Asllani anchors midfield, partnered by Juljan Shehu, and Berat Gjimshiti leads the defence.
- Thomas Tuchel is expected to rotate again after qualification was sealed early. Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham are likely to return to the starting XI, while Nico O’Reilly could retain his place after an impressive debut. Eberechi Eze is another pushing for a full start.
- Importantly, Adam Wharton and Jordan Henderson could come in as the double midfield pivot, replacing Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, who both started against Serbia. Harry Kane continues as the focal point in attack as he looks to add to his record goal tally.
Albania vs England Match Prediction
Albania have already secured a historic play-off place and come into the final match unbeaten in five, built on strong defensive organisation. But they’ve scored just seven goals in seven qualifiers, and England represent a major step up in quality.
Tuchel’s side arrive with a flawless record: seven wins from seven, 20 goals scored, none conceded. Even with rotation, England’s control, defensive strength and attacking depth, with Bellingham, Foden and Kane all likely to feature, give them a clear edge.
Score Prediction: Albania 0–2 England
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Who are the betting favourites in Albania vs England?
England are the favourites to win in Albania vs England at a best price of 2/5 with Ladbrokes.
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Albania | 15/2 |
| Draw | 19/5 |
| England | 2/5 |
Albania vs England Bet Builder Tips
Our bet builder tips for Albania vs England features Kristjan Asllani 1+ Shots, Bellingham 2+ Shots on Target, and Reece James 1+ Foul.
At the time of publishing it is a best price of 9/1 with bet365.
Kristjan Asllani 1+ Shots
Albania are the underdogs here but they have been shooting consistently in recent games (12,5,13,12,10,15,3 in WCQ games). Asllani has contributed a fair amount to those tallies, he averages 2.22 shots per 90 minutes in his last 10 international games. England only conceded three shots in the reverse fixture but having qualified already, we might see a rotated squad and with Albania taking home advantage it could be a more open game.
Bellingham 2+ Shots on Target
Bellingham only played 25 minutes against Serbia and should start here. In two of his last three starts for England he managed 3 and 2 shots on target. He has hit the target in each of his last ten starts for Madrid and has managed 2+ shots on target in five of his last six for club. He has a point to prove to England manager Thomas Tuchel and will keen to leave an impression today.
Reece James 1+ Foul
James looks decent value for a foul here. He has fouled in each of his last five appearances for England. In Hoxha's (Albania's Right winger) last two games he drew 5 fouls against Andorra when playing for his country and four fouls against Celta Vigo when playing for club.
