AlbaniaAlbania Hosts San Marino
Albania seeks to return to winning ways in UEFA Nations League League C Group 1 when they host San Marino at the Air Albania Stadium in Tirana on Tuesday. The hosts dropped from first to second after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Finland, while the visitors remain bottom of the section without a point after three consecutive defeats.
Global Newsflix 2 min read
Albania will look to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Finland when they host San Marino on Tuesday. The defeat was Albania's first of the group stage and left them one point behind Finland, who moved to the top with seven points.
Rolando Maran's side have a perfect record against San Marino, winning all five previous meetings without conceding a goal. The latest encounter came less than two weeks ago when Albania won 3-0 away to San Marino.
San Marino have yet to score in Group C1, losing 7-0 to Finland, 3-0 to Albania and 4-0 to Belarus. They have now gone 17 internationals without a victory, with only one draw during that run, and have scored just six times across those matches while conceding 63 goals.
Albania will be without goalkeeper Etrit Berisha after he was sent off against Finland. Maran has called up Simon Simoni, who joined the squad on October 4 and is available to make his senior international debut against San Marino.
Luis Hasa has recovered from illness and returned to training, while Feta Fetai and Samuele Sina have left the senior squad to join Albania Under-21s. Hasa could therefore be an option for Maran's side against San Marino.
San Marino goalkeeper Edoardo Colombo is likely to face another busy evening after starting all three Nations League matches. His saves have kept San Marino in the contest for periods during their recent meetings with Albania and Belarus.
With two of their final three group matches at home, Maran's side still have a clear route back into the promotion race, but they cannot afford another slip after surrendering the advantage at the summit.
Key facts
- Albania hosts San Marino in UEFA Nations League League C Group 1 on Tuesday
- Albania dropped from first to second after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Finland
- San Marino remains bottom of the section without a point after three consecutive defeats
- Albania has a perfect record against San Marino, winning all five previous meetings without conceding a goal
Three perspectives
Neutral
The match will be a crucial test for both teams as they seek to improve their standings in the group. Albania will look to bounce back from their defeat to Finland, while San Marino will seek to score their first goal in the group. The outcome of the match will have significant implications for the promotion race.
Positive
Albania has a strong record against San Marino and will be confident of securing a win. With two of their final three group matches at home, Maran's side has a clear route back into the promotion race. A win against San Marino would be a significant step towards achieving their goal.
Negative
San Marino's poor record in the group continues, with no points and no goals scored. They face a tough task against Albania, who have a perfect record against them. The visitors will need to improve significantly if they are to avoid another defeat.
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