Albania – Czech Republic

The Albanians will find it extremely difficult in their home game against the Czech Republic

The situation in Group E of the continental qualification before the start of the next round looks one of the most curious. The Polish national team considered the favourite before the start of the draw, is now only the fourth team, ahead of only the Faroe Islands and behind even the modest Moldovans. The group leaders will meet on Thursday in Tirana, where the local players will take on the Czech Republic. In terms of points, Albania is the first team to have a two-point advantage over the Czech Republic. At the same time, the guests have played one match less, which allows them to be considered leaders in terms of points lost. The first match between the rivals took place in Prague in the first decade of September. The Czech players scored first in the 56th minute, but ten minutes later Albanians equalised through Bajrami. Despite the fact that this shot at the goal of the Albanian team remained the only one in the whole match, it was enough to draw the game - 1:1. Bookmakers considered the guests as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 2.37 on their victory. The Albanian national team did well in the 2022 World Cup qualification, finishing two points behind second-placed Poland. In the subsequent 2023 Nations League, the Albanians played mediocre but were saved from relegation from League B by the disqualification of the Russian national team. Having started the new qualifying tournament with a defeat in Poland, the Albanian team did not give the impression of being fully competitive until this autumn. In just four days in September, the Albanian team made peace with Czechs away and swatted Poland (2-0) at home. At the same time, the hosts of the upcoming meeting should not be overestimated. Especially on the eve of the confrontation with a tough Czech Republic team. The guests of the upcoming match did not shine before the European qualification. The Czechs didn't use their chance to qualify for the 2022 World Cup through the playoffs, having been eliminated in the semi-finals against the Swedes. The team's string of failures continued in the Nations League, where it failed to compete with Spain, Portugal and Switzerland in Ligue A, finishing in last place in the quartet. The Czechs have not yet lost in the current qualifying round and it would be a rash decision to wait for that in Tirana.