Albania vs Moldova prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-06-16 18:45.
Rooted to the foot of Euro 2024 qualification Group E in its infancy, Albania have work to do if they’re to emulate their success in Euro 2016 qualification. To date, that’s the only major tournament Albania have partaken in, and considering that qualification campaign started with a surprise victory in Portugal, the Eagles have certainly got off on the wrong footing so far.
A change in fortunes could be just around the corner with Moldova next up, a nation Albania have beaten in four of their five historical H2Hs (D1). The pair were actually paired up in Euro 2020 qualification, and with Albania winning both those meetings by an aggregate 6-0 scoreline, they’ll hope this is the perfect game to kick start their bid to be in Germany for next summer’s showpiece finals.
Having started their qualification campaign on assured footing with back-to-back home draws, Moldova themselves will be hoping they can post their first victory. That’s perhaps easier said than done for a side who have won just one of their last 22 Euro qualifiers (D4, L17), but a 0-0 draw against #38 ranked Czechia in their last outing should at least boost belief ahead of a visit to an Albania side 30 places worse off.
A poor travelling record in Euro qualifiers perhaps dampens that belief a little, with seven successive defeats, six of which came ‘to nil’, threatening to offset their solid start. Boss Serghei Cleșcenco will hope he’s the man to end that run, with his 50% win rate as Moldova coach (W5, D1, L4) the highest win rate of any manager in the nation’s history to have managed at least ten games!
Players to watch: Sokol Cikalleshi netted four of Albania’s 16 Euro 2020 qualification goals and he opened the scoring in both H2Hs during that campaign. Anything good about Moldova usually comes through Ion Nicolaescu and he’s netted their only goal so far this campaign, which like his last three club goals, came from the penalty spot.
Hot stat: Albania have conceded exactly twice in five of their last six Euro qualifiers as the designated home side.