England will take on Albania at Arena Kombetare on Sunday, aiming to continue a perfect campaign in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers thus far.
England are in excellent form right now, and they have picked up a win in each game in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers ahead of the game vs Albania. They have kept a clean sheet in each of those games as well.
On paper, England are the far better team, and they will be the favourites heading into this game. The Three Lions have an excellent record against Albania as well. Thomas Tuchel’s have picked up five wins in a row against tomorrow’s opposition, keeping a clean sheet in each of them.
Meanwhile, Albania are in impressive form as well. They have picked up 14 points from seven matches in the World Cup qualifiers, and they are second in Group K. They will look to close the gap with the leaders with a positive result here. It will be interesting to see if they can put in a strong performance at home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Albania
Albania will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs England at Arena Kombetare on Sunday. They do not have any major injury issues heading into this game. Thomas Strakosha will start in goal for the home side.
Elseid Hysaj and Mario Mitaj will start as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things compact, defensively, and hit England on the break. Arlind Ajeti and Berat Djimsiti will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Juljan Shehu and Kristjan Asllani will pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to keep things tight defensively and break up the opposition’s attacking moves.
Armando Broja and Arber Hoxha will start on the flanks. They will look to add creativity and goals from the wide areas. Qazim Laci will reprise the attacking midfield role. He will look to open up opportunities in the final third and create openings for striker Rey Manaj, who will lead the line for Albania vs England on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Strakosha, Hysaj, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Mitaj; Shehu, Asllani; Broja, Laci, Hoxha; Manaj
England
Nick Pope misses out with a concussion, Marc Guehi has a foot injury, and Anthony Gordon has hip problems. Other than that, England have a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of the game vs Albian.
England are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Albania, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Reece James and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Ezri Konsa will pair up at the heart of the defence alongside Dan Burn.
As for the midfield unit, Declan Rice will start alongside Jordan Henderson in the double pivot. They will look to control the game from deep and provide defensive cover to the side. Eberechi Eze will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates.
Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers will add pace, flair, and unpredictability to the England attack from the wide areas. Finally, Harry Kane will lead the line for England vs Albania at Arena Kombetare on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Burn, Spence; Henderson, Rice; Saka, Eze, Rogers; Kane
Key Stats
- England have picked up seven wins from seven matches in the World Cup qualifiers.
- England have kept a clean sheet in each of their last seven World Cup qualifiers.
- England have picked up five wins from the last five matches against Albania.
- England have kept a clean sheet in each of their last five matches against Albania.
- Albania have picked up four wins and two draws from the last seven World Cup qualifiers.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The England captain is our key player to watch out for. Kane is in spectacular form for club and country, and he will look to find the back of the net here. He is a world-class player, and Albania could struggle to contain him.
The 32-year-old is likely to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. England will need him to step up and produce a strong performance away from home to grind out all three points.
Prediction
Albania 0-2 England
England are undoubtedly the better team, and they are in impressive form as well. They should be able to grind out a positive result here. The Three Lions are full of confidence and momentum right now. The home team is likely to put up a fight, but they are expected to come up short here. A comfortable away win is on the cards for Thomas Tuchel and his charges.