Czech Republic vs Albania

The stakes are high for the Czech Republic and Albania in the third 2024/25 UEFA Nations League round as they lock horns at the epet ARENA in Prague.

After a disastrous 4-1 away defeat to Georgia in their opening Nations League outing, the Czech Republic squeaked past Ukraine 3-2 in Prague last time out to relieve some pressure on under-fire manager Ivan Hasek. In addition to halting an underwhelming four-game winless streak (D1, L3), the Czechs extended their winning run on home soil to six matches. Perhaps ominously, that streak started after they drew 1-1 against Albania in Prague last September, casting doubt on their hopes of posting back-to-back competitive victories for the first time since November 2021. However, connoisseurs of action-packed football will hope both teams can score in the Czech Republic’s tenth consecutive international, which has been the case in two of their three previous meetings with Albania.

Like their hosts, Albania experienced a mixed start to their Group B1 campaign last month, albeit in the reverse order. After beating Ukraine 2-1 in Prague of all places, they succumbed to a narrow 1-0 loss to Georgia on home turf, making it three defeats from their last five internationals (W1, D1). However, that win against Ukraine stretched their unbeaten streak in competitive away games to four (W2, D2). Interestingly, eight of the 11 goals they netted during that sequence came after the break, highlighting the potential for a goal-glutted second half. Sylvinho’s side can draw further confidence from obliterating the Czechs 3-0 last October in Euro 2024 qualifying, although that success arrived on home soil.