Albania vs England betting tips
England take on Albania in their final World Cup 2026 qualifier on Sunday, with Thomas Tuchel’s side looking to make it six wins from six and no goals conceded after the midweek win over Serbia last time out (5pm, ITV1).
The Three Lions had already qualified for next year’s tournament following October’s 5-0 win in Latvia, but they produced a professional performance to beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley, with well-taken goals from Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze proving enough to earn another three points.
That result changed little for the Three Lions but it did Albania a favour, with their 1-0 win over Andorra meaning that the Red and Blacks have secured the play-off spot in Group K with one game to spare.
That means that both sides enter this match with nothing to play for other than pride, though it may be an interesting match for England fans as Thomas Tuchel continues to tinker with his starting line-up.
And England’s 2-0 win in the reverse fixture in March – as well as the unbeaten campaign so far – mean that the Three Lions enter this one as heavy favourites on betting sites, with football odds of 7/1 for an Albania win versus 19/50 for a victory for Tuchel’s men.
Albania vs England prediction: Visitors to complete unbeaten qualifying campaign
England head into the final match of qualifying having won every match of the campaign so far, with little to test the Three Lions as they overcame Latvia, Serbia and Andorra twice as well as securing that simple home win over Albania in March.
In truth, the most difficult tests have probably come from Andorra, who England beat 1-0 both home and away, and while the campaign has not offered many vintage England performances, Tuchel will likely be pleased with how his side is beginning to settle and take shape.
This match serves as yet another in which the German can test different tactics and personnel, and while neither side has nothing to play for so to speak, the fact that so many England players are playing for a place in the squad or a starting berth means that the Three Lions will still look to be at their best.
Tuchel will likely go with a strong – if perhaps experimental – eleven in Tirana, though whatever side he chooses should have more than enough quality to overcome the Red and Blacks.
England have won all seven of their qualifying matches so far without conceding a goal, while they’ve scored an impressive 20 goals
Albania have only lost one match – 2-0 against the Three Lions in March – but the home draws to Latvia and Serbia and narrow win over Andorra – in addition to narrow friendly wins over Gibraltar and Jordan – show that this is a side that is prone to conceding soft goals without possessing a lot of firepower of their own.
This is supported by the fact that three of Albania’s four wins have been by a scoreline of 1-0, with the side having scored seven and conceded three over their campaign.
It all points to a fairly straightforward victory for England on Sunday, and while football betting sites do think that England winning to nil is the most likely outcome, this time we do think that that is the best value bet given the circumstances.
Albania vs England prediction 1: England to win to nil – 13/10 William Hill
Albania vs England betting tips: Eze to shine in final qualifier
Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze was one of the biggest signings of the summer at club level after a couple of seasons in which the former Crystal Palace man established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League, though the 27-year-old has been unable to nail down a place as an England starter in a squad stacked with talent in his position.
However, Eze’s cameos are often encouraging for the Three Lions, as was the case against Serbia when he came on to curl in a superb second late on in the 2-0 win. It was a performance that was a reminder of the truth in what Tuchel said about building a squad in which players can make an impact whether starting or on the bench, and Eze’s time will come whether he starts or not in 2026.
However, while that may be true, the Arsenal forward will still aim to earn himself a starting berth in the remaining England games before the World Cup, and his performance in the cameo against Serbia was the perfect way of doing so.
While Eze has just one goal and one assist over his last five matches for the Gunners, he’s been in fine form for England of late, scoring in his late two matches despite being limited to 30-minute (or less) cameos on both occasions.
Given his performance last time out and the superb goal and Serbia, Tuchel could hand the Arsenal man a start. Even if he starts on the bench, we think Eze is good value to score or assist.
Albania vs England prediction 2: Eberechi Eze to score or assist – 5/4 BetMGM
Albania vs England team news
England: Marc Guehi has been ruled out after the Crystal Palace defender missed the win over Serbia, though there do not seem to be any new injury concerns from players who featured in that match. Alex Scott could yet make his debut for the Three Lions, while defender Nico O’Reilly will be hoping to retain his place after making his debut last time out.
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