England vs Albania Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | World Cup Qualifiers

England vs Albania Preview

• Competition: World Cup Qualifiers
• Date: Friday, 21st March
• Kick-Off Time: 07:45 PM GMT
• Venue: Wembley Stadium

The England vs Albania match will take place on Saturday, 22 March at the iconic Wembley Stadium. This will be the first match for both teams in the World Cup Qualifiers. Both teams are placed in Group K alongside Andorra, Latvia, and Serbia.

New boss Thomas Tuchel will lead the Three Lions out at Wembley for his first fixture in charge of last year's European Championship runners-up. England will aim to seize control of Group K this month, as one of the favourites for global glory plays their first pair of matches under Tuchel, after hosting Albania on Saturday, they welcome Latvia to London three days later. The Three Lions are expected to finish first, partly owing to the wealth of talent at Tuchel's disposal and partly due to their superb recent record en route to World Cups. The home team is the clear favourites to win the upcoming fixtures.

Albania under the guidance of Sylvinho still at the helm and Pablo Zabaleta an assistant coach, performed well in the so-called group of death at last summer's UEFA Euro 2024, against Croatia, Italy, and Spain. They were eventually knocked out in the group stage, though and have since endured a difficult few months, struggling in the 2024/25 Nations League, where they were automatically relegated from League B Group 1. Nonetheless, they can now start afresh in World Cup Qualifiers, once again seeking an overdue debut at the global finals. They have never beaten the three lions in their history and will look to change it. They will have to be at their best to get a draw which seems very difficult for the red and blacks. This will be a mouthwatering clash for sure.

England Team News

John Stones, Alexander-Arnold, Hall, Luke Shaw, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo are all injured and have not been called to the camp. Dan Burn and Myles Lewis Skelly have received the call-up for the first time. The rest of the squad is fit to play.

Albania Team News

Elseid Hysaj is injured for the Albanians so has been left out of the squad along with midfielder Keidi Bare. The rest of the players are fit to play in the upcoming clash.

England vs Albania Predicted Lineups

England National Football Team Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford

Defenders: James, Konsa, Guehi, Colwill

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham

Forwards: Phil Foden, Rogers, Gordon, Harry Kane

Albania National Football Team Predicted Lineup (3-5-2):

Goalkeeper: Strakosha

Defenders: Kumbulla, Djimsiti, Ismajli

Midfielders: Balliu, Asllani, Laci, Ramadani, Mitaj

Forwards: Asani, Manaj

England vs Albania Head-to-Head Record

Both teams have faced each other on six occasions in which England have won all the matches.

Key Players to Watch in England vs Albania

Phil Foden (England National Football Team)

Foden possesses a wide range of technical skills that set him apart from his peers. His ball control and dribbling abilities are nothing short of mesmerising, allowing him to weave past defenders with ease. His passing range and vision enable him to unlock defences and create scoring opportunities for his teammates.

In addition, Foden has shown exceptional finishing capabilities making him a potent goal-scoring threat from midfield. Whether it's gliding past defenders or executing intricate dribbles, Foden's skill on the ball is a joy to watch. His confidence and flair make him a constant threat to opposing defences. This season he has played 24 games in the Premier League in which he scored seven goals and provided two assists.

Mario Mitaj (Albania National Football Team)

He is not known for his goals and assists, but for owning the left side of the field, especially the own half. When looking at his defensive attributes, his strengths include defensive positioning to intercept passes and avoid getting dribbled past, recovering endless balls, and overall ability to avoid making errors.

His intelligence and patience rise above as he manages to defend without committing fouls and is not known for receiving cards. Mitaj's offensive game is rather neutral, his passing and dribbling are reliable and from time to time he tends to push forward and make key passes. His qualities lie rather in the defensive part of the game. This season he has played 14 games for Al-Ittihad in which he has scored one goal and provided two assists.

England vs Albania Prediction

Albania have never beaten England and this time as well it is very unlikely that they will beat the home team. Quality-wise England are a much better and superior side who are capable of getting results against any opponent. Despite mining many key players for this fixture due to injuries, Tuchel's men are clear favourites to win this fixture and most probably they will win this match comfortably.

Predicted Score: England 3-0 Albania

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