A new era begins on Friday as Thomas Tuchel is in the dugout for his first game as England boss.
The Three Lions host Albania at Wembley as they launch their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. With Andorra, Latvia and Serbia also in Group K, Tuchel will be hoping to stamp his authority on the squad immediately with a comprehensive win over the Albanians.
ENGLAND VS ALBANIA PREVIEW
England have a 100% record against Albania, winning six matches out of six. The two sides last played each other in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with England winning their home fixture 5-0.
England hosted Albania back in 2002 too, when the Three Lions ran out 2-0 winners. They also secured a 5-0 success back in 1989.
England go into this game off the back of a successful Nations League campaign that saw them promoted back to League A having won five games out of six. Their only defeat was a 1-2 slip-up at home to Greece.
Albania, meanwhile, were relegated to League C as they finished bottom of League B Group 1. It was a very tight group though as they finished level on points with third-placed Georgia and only four below winners Czechia. They are quite inconsistent, winning one, drawing one and losing one of their last three games.
ENGLAND VS ALBANIA PREDICTIONS
England Win
England are unbeaten against Albania and home advantage will count hugely. With Thomas Tuchel determined to get his Three Lions reign off to a winning start, everything points towards an England win.
Draw
The longer Albania frustrate England, the more likely the crowd will become frustrated. This could give the Albanians the edge the longer the match stays 0-0.
Albania Win
England are prone to the occasional slip-up, their 2-1 defeat at Wembley at the hands of Greece in October being exhibit A. However, this is their only defeat since losing the Euro 2024 Final to Spain last summer.
ENGLAND VS ALBANIA – BETTING TIPS
England Win
It’s very hard to see beyond England here. They are unbeaten against Albania, have home advantage, and have only lost one game since last summer’s European Championship Final. They go into this match off the back of a 5-0 thumping of Ireland as well as winning 3-0 in Greece.
England to Win to Nil
England won four of their Nations League games to nil, including the last two. Five of their six victories over Albania have also been to nil, with England only conceding one goal in history against the Albanians.
England to Win by Over 3.5 Goals
England have won two of their three home games against Albania 5-0. They have also scored 19 goals and conceded just once against them. All of this suggests a high-scoring victory here.
Harry Kane to Score Antyime
If you are feeling adventurous, back Kane to score a hat-trick, but I think scoring anytime is a safer bet. England’s all-time leading scorer has 69 goals in 103 appearances. He used to play under Tuchel at Bayern Munich, where he scored 44 goals in 45 games in total.
He will be determined to impress and will aim to add to his tally of 11 goals in his last eight Wembley appearances in competitive games. Kane has also scored 40 of his 69 goals in qualifiers.
If you fancy the hat-trick, note he scored three against Albania the last time the two sides met back in November 2021.
ENGLAND VS ALBANIA – HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
There have been six games between the two sides, with England winning all six.
England have scored 19 goals against Albania, conceding just once.
Harry Kane scored a hat-trick the last time the two sides played in 2021. England’s all-time top scorer is looking for his 70th England goal against Albania.
