Albania vs Italy Preview & Prediction

Italy vs Albania
2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – Europe, Group G.
Date: Friday, 24th March 2017
Kick off at 19:45 UK/ 20:45 CET
Venue: Stadio Renzo Barbera.

Italy and Spain will have a huge battle for the top position in the group G. Both sides have ten points each after the opening four rounds of the competition and we can expect the head to head match in Spain to determine the group winners.Palermo is going to host the national team for their affair with Albania this Friday. The hosts will obviously be heavy favourites, but the potential upset from Albanians could seriously complicate the situation in the group.

Italy

Italy have done a huge job by beating Israel 1-3 on the road at the start of the qualifying campaign.

They then drew with Spain 1-1 on the home court before managing away wins at FYR Macedonia and Liechtenstein.

Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti are the leading figures having combined seven goals so far in the campaign. The due have been enjoying terrific seasons for Lazio and Torino and we expect them to keep the good form going and get their names to the score-sheet against Albania as well.

Albania

The visitors were off to a positive start as they saw off FYR Macedonia and Liechtenstein in two initial fixtures.

However, the team led by Giovanni de Biasi failed to find the back of the net in the consecutive losses to Spain and Israel. The loss to Israel seriously challenged their ambitions of making yet another upset and secure the back-to-back appearance in the big competition.

Italy vs Albania: Head to head

This will be the first official head to head encounter between the two sides.

Italy managed a narrow 1-0 win when the two teams took on each other in a friendly back in November 2014. Stefano Okaka was the man who scored the only goal at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris in Genova.

Italy vs Albania: Prediction

Italy will obviously be heavy favourites with the impressive attack led by Immobile and Belotti.

Since the goal difference might well prove out to be the deciding factor in the battle for the top of the group, we’ll back Italy to win by at least two goals as the top betting option.