Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Albania vs. San Marino - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 6 September 2021, 08:40
After picking up a crucial three points against Hungary on Sunday, Albania will be looking to keep the pressure on the two top places in Group I of the World Cup 2022 qualification.

They will face San Marino on Wednesday, who currently sit at the foot of the table having yet to register a single point within the competition.

Match preview

Albania currently finds themselves in third, with the 1-0 victory against Hungary during their last outing proving to be vital as they leapfrogged them in the table to be just one point behind Poland.

Group I's two top teams will face each other on Wednesday as England travel to play the Eagles, which increases the pressure on Edoardo Reja's squad heading into this game.

Young Chelsea striker Armando Broja came off the bench to score an 87th-minute winner on Sunday, helping his team earn their third victory of the qualification process so far.

Albania have been inconsistent as of late, with two victories, two defeats and a draw in their last five games, but they will be keen to pick up consecutive wins here in order to build some momentum.

The two teams have already collided in this group back in March and it was Reja's men who came out on top with a 2-0 victory after goals from Rey Manaj and Myrto Uzuni.

This was just one of five losses for San Marino, who have been beaten in each game to this point, only managing to score one goal, which came in their most recent performance against Poland on Sunday.

However, Nicola Nanni's finish did not prove to be meaningful as they suffered their biggest loss in the group to date, being beaten 7-1 in a game to forget for the squad.

San Marino certainly head into this fixture as the underdogs and any form of a result would be a huge positive for them, with the team ranked 210th in the FIFA rankings.

Albania World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

Albania form (all competitions):

San Marino World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

San Marino form (all competitions):

Team News

After finding the back of the net against Hungary, Broja could have earned himself a place in the starting lineup heading into Wednesday's clash with San Marino.

At the other end of the pitch, Etrit Berisha will be set to start in goal after keeping a clean sheet against Hungary as he continues to fight to be the number one goalkeeper for his country.

Experienced forward Sokol Cikalleshi was an unused substitute on Sunday, but he could be provided some game time within the fixture against San Marino as well.

The visitors will be sure to start Nanni after he was able to score in the heavy defeat against Poland, but there could also be an opportunity for Mirko Palazzi and Fabio Tomassini to play after making an impact from the bench.

Albania possible starting lineup:

Berisha; Ismajli, Kumbulla, Djimsiti; Doka, Trashi, Abrashi, Gjasula, Bajrami; Cokalleshi, Broja

San Marino possible starting lineup:

Benedettini; D'Addario, Fabbri, Brolli, Rossi,, Palazzi; Lunadei, Golinucci, Mularoni; Nanni, Vitaioli

We say: Albania 5-0 San Marino

Anything other than a victory for Albania would be a huge surprise from this fixture, with three points being expected from Reja's squad here.

Considering San Marino's history, it is going to be a game where the hosts will be looking to score as many as possible incase goal difference proves to be vital.

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together at the top of League C Group 1 with two games to play, Sweden and Slovakia will battle it out to take the outright lead when they meet on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal will reportedly allow out-of-favour defender Jakub Kiwior to leave the club on loan in January. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wales travel to the Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri to face Turkey in their penultimate League B Group 4 fixture in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Pablo Torre has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the club in January, after seeing his game time reduced recently. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to narrow their gap to the top two in the League One table with a third consecutive victory, Barnsley will visit the Abbey Stadium to take on Cambridge United on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alexander Isak has delivered a fresh update on his future at Newcastle United, amid reported interest from a number of clubs including Arsenal. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Roma have confirmed the appointment of 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri as their new first-team manager until the end of the season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has revealed that he was "desperate" to join Chelsea in 2022. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal could rival Manchester City and Liverpool for the signature of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly weighing up whether to make a move for in-form PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As exquisite as Pedro Neto's equaliser was, the Portuguese's 20-yard leveller for Chelsea in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal was arguably more to do with the Gunners' uncharacteristic defensive failings. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly made a decision over whether they will pursue a move for Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Estevao Willian has revealed that he will continue with his education even after completing a big-money transfer to Chelsea. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly going to give Real Sociedad "a long and hard winter" in their pursuit of midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Embroiled in a fight against relegation to the UEFA Nations League's lowest level, Azerbaijan and Estonia will clash in Qabala on Saturday afternoon. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England captain Harry Kane has reportedly emerged as a late doubt for Thursday's UEFA Nations League meeting with Greece due to a knock. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is expected to be given the all-clear for Saturday's all-important UEFA Nations League clash with Hungary in Amsterdam. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together on five points in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, the Netherlands and Hungary meet on Saturday in a winner-takes-all clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both vying for promotion to the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Albania and League B Group 1 leaders Czech Republic will lock horns on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco has insisted that his club are not currently looking to bring in a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, with the striker in excellent form for the Catalan giants this season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will be eyeing a debut for the Germany national team in Saturday's UEFA Nations League clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina in League A Group 3. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco is confident that the club will be able to sign Pedri to a new long-term contract. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Needing just a point to all but guarantee a first-placed finish in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, Germany welcome Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Christian Eriksen has revealed that he is 'yet to hear anything' from Manchester United over his future. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As closely contested League B Group 1 nears its conclusion, promotion - and relegation - rivals Georgia and Ukraine will meet in Batumi on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly considering making a move for Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Thursday, 3.00pm) Amid a three-way battle for promotion from League B Group 3, Austria aim to improve their prospects with a win on Thursday, when they meet Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Athletico Paranaense can temporarily climb out of the Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone with a victory over Atletico Mineiro on Saturday at Arena de Baixada.