Prediction: Scotland win
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The international break is upon us once again, with this being the first weekend without domestic football in a month or so. As disappointing as that may be there are still some games we re looking forward to seeing, especially from the home nations, with Albania vs Scotland being one of them. The two sides met earlier this year and will go head to head again courtesy of how the Nations League works, and while they aren t the biggest names in international football, sometimes those are the games that surprise you the most.
Albania
People are quick to forget that while they may be viewed as minnows by the masses, Albania actually did qualify for Euro 2016 and even picked up three points in their final group stage game against Romania. Sure, they ve stumbled since then, but they re organised, they have a handful of stars, and if they can find a few natural goalscorers then they could be off to the races. They may not qualify for the World Cup anytime soon, but another appearance at the European Championships isn t outside the realms of possibility.
Team News
Eros Grezda, who actually plays his club football in Scotland, will be viewed as one of the biggest dangers for Albania with Mërgim Mavraj being set to captain the side.
Scotland
The Scots have been the laughing stock of the United Kingdom for years now in the world of international football, and it doesn t seem as if they ve got much hope of turning those opinions on their head. Alex McLeish hasn t done much to inspire the fans since taking charge and the players themselves have struggled to gel, which is a shame because they ve got a few names that could really do some serious damage against bigger sides if they were put in the right kind of system.
Team News
Scotland will be without over a dozen star who would all likely feature in the squad this weekend, with Johnny Russell and Ryan Christie being the two main hopes for the visitors.
Factors to Consider
The game will be played at Albania s Loro Borici Stadium.
Albania have one win, one draw and four losses in their last six games.
Scotland have one win and five losses in their last six games.
Albania have scored two goals and conceded 11 in their last six games.
Scotland have scored four goals and conceded 12 in their last six games.
Conclusion
These kind of games aren t often viewed as being very important , but given the structure of the Nations League, every game offers up the possibility of something intriguing as these nations battle it out for the right to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020. Scotland were able to edge their way past Albania in the reverse fixture and while they ve struggled against teams they should be beating in the past, it does feel like they ve got enough in the tank to pick up a win and for an official prediction, we re going to say 3-1.
Prediction: Scotland win
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