Albania - Spain predictions and free betting tips [24/06/2024]

On Monday, 24 June, in the third round of the group stage of Euro 2024, Albania will face Spain. "La Roja" secured a 1-0 victory over "Squadra Azzurra" last week, guaranteeing their place in the playoffs, while Silvinho's squad holds third place after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Croatia.

Predicted Line-ups

Albania: Strakosha; Hysaj, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Mitaj; Asllani, Ramadani; Asani, Lachi, Bajrami; Manaj.

Albania's key striker Uzuni (Granada, 5 goals in 35 matches) is sidelined with injury since the end of the season. Playmaker Bajrami (Sassuolo, 5 goals in 25 matches) has started the tournament promisingly, netting a goal in the first minute against Italy. Defenders Hysaj (Lazio) and Djimsiti (Atalanta), midfielders Asllani (Inter) and Ramadani (Lecce), as well as goalkeeper Strakosha (Brentford) will also start, with Strakosha having won the competition over the more experienced Berisha (Empoli).

In the attack, we will likely see Chelsea forward Armando Broja (5 goals in 22 appearances) and the team's top scorer, Manaj, who has netted 8 times for his country. Lachi performed impressively against Croatia, while Gjasula equalised in the dying moments of the match. Mirlin Daku avoided suspension for offensive chants directed at North Macedonia after the final whistle against Croatia, thus might strengthen the team off the bench in the second half.

Spain: Raya; Navas, Vivian, Laporte, Grimaldo; Merino, Zubimendi, Baena; Torres, Joselu, Oyarzabal.

Spain captain Álvaro Morata's participation in the second round was doubtful after a forced substitution against Croatia, but the forward returned to action, starting against "Nazionale" from the first minutes. Midfielder Rodri received two yellow cards and will serve his suspension. Notably, young Gavi (Barcelona) missed out on this Euro due to a severe injury, while Cubarsi, Aleix Garcia, and Llorente were not selected by the coaching staff. Centre-back Nacho and winger Ayoze Pérez sustained minor injuries last week and will remain on the bench.

Fabián Ruiz was named the man of the match against Croatia and will definitely occupy the central midfield spot. Pedri and wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams tore apart the Italian defence and will again be in charge of "La Roja's" attacking creativity. Martín Zubimendi will replace Rodri in the defensive midfield zone, while Mikel Oyarzabal, Mikel Merino, Ferran Torres, Alejandro Grimaldo, 38-year-old Jesús Navas, and possibly even David Raya will get their playing time in the tournament.

Stadium

The match will be held in Düsseldorf at the Merkur Spiel-Arena.

Albania

Qualifying for the European Championship for the second time in their history, Albania started the tournament not too successfully, falling into the "group of death" with Italy, Croatia, and Spain. The Red and Blacks opened the scoring in the first minute against Italy but were trailing within a quarter of an hour, eventually capitulating 2-1. On Wednesday, the nominal home side faced Croatia and again took an early lead, but conceded two goals within minutes in the second half. However, this time, fate was kinder to the underdog: Gjasula levelled the score in injury time, thus keeping play-off chances alive.

The tournament situation in group B is complicated: the Red and Blacks are third after two rounds, ahead of Croatia on goal difference, and if Silvinho's men manage to defeat Spain while Croatia beats Italy by no more than two goals, a place in the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams is very likely. The Balkan team topped their qualifying group, ahead of the Czech Republic, Poland, Moldova, and the Faroe Islands. Albania also won two friendly matches before the Euro start – against Liechtenstein (3-0) and Azerbaijan (3-1).

Spain

Spain, on the other hand, may very well be one of the contenders for triumph at Euro 2024. The Red and Yellows made a very positive impression in their opening match of the tournament, thrashing Croatia (3-0) to top Group B. On Thursday, they dispatched the Italians with no chance, although missing several opportunities to increase the lead (1-0) due to an own goal by Riccardo Calafiori. Thus, "La Roja" secured a place in the round of 16 and can extend their commendable winning streak to five matches in all competitions.

Incidentally, in the first play-off round, the southerners will only face one of the best third-placed teams in groups A, D, E, or F. The winners of last year's Nations League, Luis de la Fuente's men, topped their qualification group ahead of Scotland, Norway, Georgia, and Cyprus. Before travelling to Germany, "La Roja" boosted their confidence by defeating Andorra (5-0) and Northern Ireland (5-1) in friendly matches.

Head-to-Head

The Spanish national team has a 100 per cent winning record in head-to-head matches with Albania, winning all eight previous duels. The last encounter took place in a friendly match in March 2022 (2-1).

Albania vs Spain Prediction

The depth of the Spanish squad is such that De la Fuente can rotate effortlessly in the final round, providing playing time to the nearest reserves. Albania has shown character in the group stage and can be proud, but the Red and Blacks, with all due respect, significantly fall short of "La Roja" in experience and quality of players. My prediction – victory for the Red and Yellows with a handicap of -1.

Total Goals Prediction

The Spaniards only managed to score once against Italy by sheer luck, despite having many more chances to find the net. I place a bet on the individual total over 1.5 goals for the favourites.

Corner Kicks Prediction

The Spanish national team surpasses their opponent in class and will seize the initiative from the first minutes, while the Albanians will spend most of the time near their penalty area. I bet on the southern side's win by corners with a handicap of -1.5.

Yellow Cards Prediction

The Red and Blacks will spend a lot of time in defence and will try to disrupt the tempo of their opponent's attacks with fouls, hence, they will take the lead in yellow cards.

Score Prediction

I'll bet on a 0-2 scoreline in favour of the Spanish team.