Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
After suffering a heavy 5-0 loss to England at Wembley Stadium, Albania will be aiming to give fans some cheer when they take on Andorra at their Air Albania Stadium. Edoardo Reja’s troops produce much better showings at home than on the travels, and it is no wonder the bookies see them as favourites to win Monday’s clash. Both Bare and Kumbulla, who limped off with injuries in the defeat to England, are unlikely to feature against Andorra. Konyaspor attacker Cikalleshi is banned for the match.
The minnows, on the other hand, experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 4-1 loss to Poland. Andorra have already conceded 23 goals in the process, and seeing that Albania are a real force to be reckoned with at home, we predict that Edu Reja’s troops are going to pick up all three points from the match. Andorra forward Ricard Fernandez misses the match through suspension.
Highlighted Player (Elseid Hysaj):
Born on 2nd February 1994, Elseid Hysaj is an Albanian defender who has spent his entire professional career in Italian Serie A and he is predicted a bright future in the game. Empoli scouts spotted his talent while he was playing for Shodra youth sides, and after three years in the youth team, the full-back was promoted to the first team set up.
Hysaj performed really well in his first three years as a first team regular, helping the Azzurri gain promotion to the top fight in the process. One season in Serie A proved enough for the right-sided defender to secure a big club move as he joined Napoli in the summer of 2015 and immediately nailed down a regular starting berth.
Capable of doing dirty defensive work as well as making forward runs, Hysaj is a modern full-back, who is destined for big things. The talented footballer is already a key member of the Albania national team and he will represent the country at the Euro 2016 finals.
Highlighted Team (Andorra):
Andorra national football team played their first official game in 1996, with the team suffering a 6-1 loss to Estonia. The Tricolours have been participating in both European Championship qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers since 2000, but they have yet to make it to the finals of the major tournament.
Andorra have established themselves as a cannon fodder for their rivals, but it has to be noted that they did well to beat Macedonia in the 2006 World Cup qualifier (1-0). The Andorrans play their home games at Estadio Nacional in Andorra la Vella and you should bear in mind that they suffered their biggest defeat in an official match on June 4, 2005 when they were outclassed by Czech Republic in Liberec.
Speaking of their biggest win, the minnows recorded a 2-0 victory over Belarus in a friendly game in Aixovall. The likes of Ildefons Lima and Oscar Sonejee are the most notable footballers who represented Andorra on the international stage.