England vs Albania

England will be looking to make a decisive step towards securing a berth at next year’s World Cup finals when they take on Albania at Wembley Stadium.

Though they go into this round without a single defeat in World Cup Qualification Group I (W6, D2), England can ill-afford complacency, as they harbor a three-point lead over second-placed Poland with two qualifiers left. However, the ‘Three Lions’ are odds-on favorites to beat Albania and move one step closer towards reaching their seventh straight World Cup finals. Indeed, England have won all five historical H2Hs, including both on home soil by an aggregate score of 7-0. Penalties excluded, Gareth Southgate’s men are unbeaten in their last 18 international outings and could go 19 consecutive matches without losing for the first time since 1966. Southgate will be keen to make it happen as he gears up for his 67th match as an England manager, the joint-most of any England boss since Sir Bobby Robson left in 1990.

On the other hand, Albania’s qualification ship may have sailed away on the back of a 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Poland last time out. The visitors now sit two points adrift of second-placed Poland and cannot afford to drop points if they are to remain in contention for the play-off spot. Notably, though, the Albanians have won three of their four 2022 World Cup qualifying fixtures on foreign soil (L1), just one victory less than in their previous 12 World Cup qualifying campaigns combined (W4, D7, L41). Yet, it’s worth noting that two of those three triumphs came at the expense of continental minnows Andorra and San Marino. Still, Edoardo Reja’s men have kept a clean sheet in four of their six international travels this calendar year (W3, D1, L2), which is an encouraging sign.