Albania kick off their quest for a place in the 2024 European Championship when they take on Poland at PGE Narodowy on Monday.
Having lost the last seven encounters between the sides, Sylvinho’s men will be aiming to get one over the host nation and kick off their campaign on a high.
Newly appointed Fernando Santos was denied a winning start to his spell in charge of Poland as his side fell to a 3-1 loss against the Czech Republic in Friday’s Group E opener.
The White-Reds have now lost three consecutive matches, a run which started with a 2-0 loss to Argentina in last November’s FIFA World Cup group-stage clash.
Poland have now returned to home soil, where they claimed a 1-0 victory over Chile in their last outing on November 16 courtesy of Krzysztof Piatek’s late strike.
Meanwhile, Albania will be looking to put behind their poor showing in last year’s UEFA Nations League, where they picked up just two points from four matches in League B.
However, we can expect a little sloppiness from Sylvinho’s side, whose last outing came last November, when they secured a 2-0 victory over Armenia to end their run of nine friendly outings without a win.
Albania have also failed to win their last five away matches in all competitions, losing three and claiming two draws since a 1-0 victory over Hungary in October 2021.
Poland vs Albania Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With nine wins from the previous 13 encounters between the nations, Poland have been the dominant side in the history of this fixture.
- Albania’s only victory came in November 1953, when they edged out the White-Reds 2-0 at the Qemal Stafa Stadium, while three games have ended all square.
- The White-Reds are currently on a three-game losing streak, stretching back to a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in November’s FIFA World Cup group-stage clash.
- Albania are on a run of one win in their last 11 matches across all competitions, losing five games and claiming five draws since November 2021.
Poland vs Albania Prediction
Following Friday’s slip-up, another defeat could be a huge blow to Poland’s qualification hopes. The White-Reds have a solid record against Albania, though, and we predict they will return to winning ways on home soil.
Prediction: Poland 2-0 Albania
Poland vs Albania Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Poland
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - No (There have been fewer than three goals scored in seven of Poland’s last nine matches)
Tip 3: Less than 4.5 cards - Yes (There have been fewer than five bookings in four of Albania's last five games)