Ukraine vs Albania – UEFA Nations League Preview
Match Information
- Date: September 7th, 2024
- Time: 8:00 PM CEST
- Competition: UEFA Nations League, League B, Group 1
- Venue: epet ARENA, Prague, Czech Republic
Head-to-Head
Ukraine and Albania have met six times in the past, with Ukraine holding a clear advantage. The Blue and Yellow have won five of those encounters, while the two sides have drawn once. Their most recent meeting was in June 2018, where Ukraine emerged victorious with a convincing 4-1 scoreline.
Recent Form
Ukraine’s recent form has been a mixed bag. They were eliminated from Euro 2024 in the group stage, despite earning four points from their three matches. However, they have been impressive in the Nations League, winning three and drawing two of their six matches in the previous edition.
As for Albania, they made a respectable showing at Euro 2024, where they were drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside Croatia, Italy, and eventual champions Spain. Although they failed to advance, they earned plaudits for their valiant performances, losing to Italy and Spain by a single-goal margin. In the previous Nations League campaign, Albania finished third in their group, accumulating just two points from four matches.
Key Stats
- Ukraine have won their last two matches against Albania, scoring a total of seven goals and conceding just two.
- Albania have only won one of their last 13 matches away from home since the end of 2021.
- Ukraine’s captain, Andriy Yarmolenko, is just two goals behind Ukraine’s all-time leading scorer, Andriy Shevchenko.
- Albania will be without several key players, including striker Armando Broja, defender Berat Djimsiti, and goalkeeper Elhan Kastrati, due to injuries.
Predicted Lineups
Ukraine Possible Starting XI: Anatoliy Trubin; Yukhym Konoplya, Illya Zabarnyi, Mykola Matviyenko, Vitaliy Mykolenko; Taras Stepanenko, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Viktor Tsygankov, Mykhailo Sudakov, Mykhailo Mudryk; Roman Yaremchuk.
Albania Possible Starting XI: Thomas Strakosha; Elseid Hysaj, Marash Kumbulla, Ardian Ismajli, Besar Mitaj; Kristjan Asllani, Ylber Ramadani, Qazim Laci; Nedim Bajrami, Myrto Uzuni, Armando Sadiku.
Ukraine vs Albania Prediction
Despite Albania’s impressive showings at Euro 2024, I believe Ukraine will have the edge in this encounter. The Blue and Yellow have a more experienced and talented squad, and their recent form in the Nations League suggests they are well-equipped to secure a victory. My prediction for the final score is Ukraine 2-1 Albania.