ALBANIA are preparing to make a rare appearance in a major competition as they face Liechtenstein in an international friendly on Monday.
The Albanians have impressed in recent times and should have the upper hand over Liechtenstein, who are still considered minnows.
After years in the doldrums of European football, Albania are finally breaking into the limelight. They qualified for Euro 2024 with relative ease, suffering just one defeat in eight matches and finishing top of a group that included Czech Republic and Poland.
Although Albania have lost their last two matches, they did not taste defeat in the previous eight fixtures. Sylvinho’s men had claimed five wins in that run, including a 2-0 victory over Poland and a 3-0 thrashing of Czech Republic.
Liechtenstein are still the whipping boys of most fixtures and their status was evident during the Euro qualifiers. They finished bottom of Group J after losing all 10 of their matches and scoring just a single goal.
The Liechtensteiners are so poor that their last friendly win came way back in 2020. Konrad Funfstuck’s men have suffered six defeats in that time, failing to score in five fixtures in that run.
How the bookies view it: No chance for Liechtenstein
Albania are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 1/16 by bet365 to claim the win. An unlikely victory for Liechtenstein is valued at 22/1 while a draw is set at odds of 11/1.
Head to head: Easy pickings for Albania
Albania have won all three previous matches against Liechtenstein and are yet to concede a single goal. The last meeting was a 2018 World Cup qualifier which ended 2-0 in favour of the Albanians.
Players to watch: Asani to deliver
While Albania generally rely on the collective, Jasir Asani has caught the eye in recent times. The forward was on target in the wins over Poland and Czech Republic and could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime on Monday at 20/21 by bet365.
Probable line-ups
Albania captain Berat Djimsiti is likely to miss Monday’s clash as he features for Atalanta in their final Serie A fixture of the season on Saturday. Ardian Ismajli is likely to be drafted in for the centre-back.
Liechtenstein have no injuries or suspensions and boast a fully fit squad to choose from on Monday.
Albania: Berisha, Hysaj, Ajeti, Ismajli, Mitaj, Ramadani, Asllani, Seferi, Bajrami, Asani, Broja
Liechtenstein: Buchel, Beck, Traber, Graber, Goppel, Meier, Luchinger, Buchel, Sele, Salanovic, Saglam
Anything else catch the eye?
Albania are expected to dominate Monday’s clash, so a one-sided result could be expected here. A -3 handicap could be considered at 8/5 with bet365, who is also offering 13/10 on a -1 first-half handicap.
Liechtenstein have a habit of conceding early, so a goal within the first 10 minutes could also be considered at 5/2 by bet365.
This International Friendly match between Albania and Liechtenstein will be played on Jun 3, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Albania vs Liechtenstein prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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