Albania have won all five matches against San Marino: prediction for Albania vs San Marino
The UEFA Nations League fourth-round match between Albania and San Marino will take place on October 6 at the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana. Albania have collected six points and sit second in the group, while San Marino have lost all three of their matches and remain bottom without a single point.
Albania: two straight wins followed by defeat in Helsinki
Rolando Maran’s team made a highly confident start to the tournament, first beating Belarus 2-0 and then thrashing San Marino 3-0. Anis Mehmeti, Myrto Uzuni and Rey Manaj scored in that match, while Albania were in near-total control throughout. After two wins, the team faced Finland as one of the group leaders.
Albania took the lead against Finland through a Manaj goal as early as the fourth minute, but Etrit Berisha’s red card in the 22nd minute seriously changed the course of the match. The hosts eventually made their numerical advantage count and won 2-1, with Albania suffering their first dropped points of the campaign. The team are now one point behind Finland, meaning another slip-up at home could make the battle for top spot more difficult.
San Marino: three defeats and not a single goal scored
San Marino are enduring an extremely difficult group stage and remain without a point after three matches. Roberto Cevoli’s team have lost to Finland 0-7, Albania 0-3 and Belarus 0-4 in succession. As a result, the national team have conceded 14 goals in three rounds and have yet to find the net themselves.
San Marino’s winless run has now reached 17 matches, during which the team have managed just one draw. Over that period, the national team have scored only six goals and conceded 63, highlighting the gap in class with most of their opponents. Another blow ahead of the trip to Tirana will be the suspension of Nicola Nanni, who will miss the match after accumulating yellow cards.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Albania have won all five of their previous matches against San Marino and have never conceded.
- San Marino have lost all three of their Nations League matches this season by an aggregate score of 0-14.
- Less than two weeks ago, Albania already defeated this opponent 3-0.
The hosts should bounce back in style: prediction for Albania vs San Marino
Albania are clearly the stronger side based on their current form and already proved it in the first meeting between the teams. Following the defeat to Finland, Maran’s side will be extra motivated to regain their winning momentum and keep pace with the group leaders. Home advantage and a clear edge in attacking quality should allow the hosts to control the game from the opening minutes.
San Marino have shown no signs of serious progress and continue to struggle badly even when it comes to creating chances. Nanni’s absence further weakens an attack that is already severely lacking in productivity. If Albania play at their usual pace and avoid unnecessary mistakes, the match could easily end in another emphatic victory for the hosts.
