The third and final game from Saturday’s Euro 2024 schedule pairs Italy and Albania in a match you can follow live on television from the BVB Stadion Dortmund. The Italians arrive in Germany as the current holders of the UEFA European Championship trophy after beating England on penalties at Wembley less than three years ago. Will Team Italy repeat the feat and successfully defend the prize? That remains unclear, but they certainly have a squad that’s good enough to challenge, and betting traders expect Italy to get off to a winning start.
Albania was impressed when they reached Euro 2024 but now finds themselves in the most difficult group of the competition. They open their account against Italy but also share Group B with Spain and Croatia, three potential winners of Euro 2024. Most pundits expect the Albanians to struggle this summer and to exit the race after their three group games, but the team is capable of silencing their doubters. Albanian fans know their team’s best chance of progress comes from winning their first group game.
- Location: Dortmund
- Stadium: BVB Stadion Dortmund
- Date: 15 June 2024
- Kick-Off Time: 21:00 CEST (20:00 BST)
- Referee: Felix Zwayer
- VAR Referee: Bastian Dankert
Italy Team News
Team Italy impressed at Euro 2020, especially in that dramatic penalty shootout win over the Three Lions at Wembley Stadium in London. The memory of that night shines brightly for fans, but the Italian squad is in a period of transition, with many promising young players coming through the ranks.
Italy has been written off for two in a row by many respected pundits, and they did little to inspire confidence when drawing 0-0 with Turkey in a recent friendly. The Turks are no pushovers and proved it by holding Italy to a goalless finish. One positive from that blank was the clean sheet managed by an organised Italian defence.
Italy’s final friendly before travelling to Germany ended in a typically narrow 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The winning goal was scored by Frattesi on 38 minutes before the Italians worked hard on defending ahead of the competition. We expect Italy will make it difficult to break down in Germany, and that’s worth keeping in mind when making predictions.
Albania Team News
Albania suffered a mixed bag of results during their Euro 2024 preparation when losing to Chile and Sweden, both without scoring a goal. The Chileans swagged to a stunning 3-0 victory in a friendly match before Sweden battled to a hard-fought 1-0 victory just days later. It was a double hammer blow for Team Albania, but they’ll be eager to leave friendly results in the past and concentrate on competitive football.
The Albanians were much more impressive when securing a valuable 3-0 friendly win over Lichtenstein earlier this month. Albania was expected to win the game, and they delivered the goods, scoring three goals, keeping a clean sheet, and boosting morale in the camp. Albania knows they face a much tougher test against Italy, but they enter with confidence and will want to prove they belong at this level.
We last saw Albania when they beat Azerbaijan 3-1 last Friday with goals from Bajrami, Manaj, and Laci. The scoreline was impressive, but Albania was holding onto a 1-0 lead until the 81st minute. They’ll face a much sterner test against Italy and most pundits fear the worst for Albania in Germany.
Italy vs Albania H2H Record and Key Numbers
Looking at the key stats attached to this game, we note Italy and Albania have met only four times previously, with the Italians enjoying domination. The H2H figures show Italy has four wins from as many attempts and last beat Albania 3-1 on the road in a friendly in November 2022. Followers of Team Italy would love to see something similar in this game, with a win and a few goals scored, but the coaching staff knows that three points are the main prize.
In the previous four games involving these teams, the aggregate score was Italy 7-1 Albania, with the spare goal scored in that last meeting. The statistics suggest Italy only needs to turn up to win this game, but the team knows that’s a dangerous approach. They must be at their best and sharpest to earn the three points. I expect another professional performance from Luciano Spalletti’s men.
Possible Lineups
- Italy (5-3-2): Donnarumma – Di Lorenzo, Dimarco, Jorginho, Mancini, Bastoni – Orsolini, Cristante, Retegui – Pellegrini, Chiesa
- Albania (4-3-3): Strakosha – Balliu, Mitaj, Djimsiti, Mihaj – Bajrami, Laci, Ramadani – Asllani, Asani, Broja
Where to Watch Italy vs Albania Euro 2024 – TV and Online Live Streaming
English fans can watch Italy vs Albania live on BBC and the BBC iPlayer. In Italy the game will be broadcast on RAI 2, Sky Sport and Sky Go. In Albania, football fans can watch the match on TV Klan.
My Prediction
Italy boasts a perfect record over Albania, and I expect that purple patch to continue. The Italians didn’t impress in attack during recent friendlies, but they’ll build off a strong defence, remain patient and punish any mistakes made by their opponents.
Albania scored six goals in two friendlies this month, conceding just one. But those goals were scored against Lichtenstein and Azerbaijan, and I don’t think that’s great preparation for what they’ll encounter against Italy.
For more betting tips, you can check the Italy vs Albania predictions page
