Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
England
Albania
In the first match of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, England will face Albania on home turf. The match will take place on Friday, March 21, and kick off at 20:45 CET. I'm suggesting a bet on goals in this encounter.
England vs Albania: facts and head-to-head
- England has won the last three matches with a goal difference of 11:1.
- Albania has secured only one victory in their last five games.
- The English have scored in ten consecutive matches.
- Albania has failed to score in only one of their last five away matches.
- In the last ten matches, England has never lost without scoring, while Albania has in 30% of cases.
- 40% of England's victories in the last ten games were "clean sheets", while Albania has only one such match.
- The last meeting ended with England's 5-0 thrashing.
- In the history of these teams, six matches have been played, and the English have won them all.
England vs Albania: match preview
Both teams are starting their journey in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. For England, the group seems quite straightforward: Albania, Latvia, Andorra, with Serbia likely to pose the only real challenge. The "Three Lions" have returned to League A of the Nations League, but the main news is the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as head coach. This match will be his debut, and he will surely want to start with a confident victory, especially at Wembley.
Albania fought valiantly in Euro 2024 but finished last in their group, similarly performing in the Nations League, where despite earning seven points, they were relegated to the lower division. There are no radical changes in the lineup, and Silvinho continues his work with the team, aiming to lead them to the 2026 World Cup.
Probable lineups
- England: Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Colwill, Lewis-Skelly; Henderson, Rice; Foden, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.
- Albania: Strakosha; Balliu, Ismajli, Djimsiti, Alickaj; Asllani, Ramadani; Asani, Bajrami, Muci; Manaj.
Prediction
Albania is a spirited team capable of causing problems, but it's unlikely they can stop England on home soil. The "Three Lions" have changed their coach, and he will want to confidently win his first match, especially at Wembley. My bet is on England's individual total over 2.5 goals with odds of 1.94.
