England vs Albania Predictions

• England are unbeaten in their last eight home games, with seven wins and one draw.
• England have just three clean sheets in their last seven games and two of those came against Andorra.
• Albania have scored in 10 of their last 13 games.
• Phil Foden has three goals in his last four starts for club side Manchester City.

England on verge of securing World Cup spot

England still have some work to do to guarantee their place at the next World Cup but a win over Albania at Wembley on Friday would surely see them finish as group winners.

The visitors sit in third spot, five points behind England, and still have a chance to qualify themselves. A victory for the Three Lions would guarantee a top two finish, and would mean they would simply need to avoid defeat against minnows San Marino to secure top spot ahead of Poland.

With qualification yet to be secured, England boss Gareth Southgate is likely to name his strongest possible XI to ensure they get the job done on Friday. Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane may be struggling at club level but they retain the manager’s trust and it would be a surprise to see either of them miss out on a starting spot, while Jordan Pickford is likely to retain his place in goal despite increasing pressure from the uncapped Aaron Ramsdale.

Not a straightforward task for Three Lions

England won the reverse fixture 2-0 and have an impressive home record as they are unbeaten in their last eight games on home soil (W7, D1) but the visitors shouldn’t be underestimated here either.

This game is essentially a cup final for Albania and only a win will do if they are to reach the tournament proper. Southgate’s men were clean sheet specialists not too long ago but they have conceded in two of their last three World Cup qualifiers. England do have three clean sheets in their last seven games but two of those shut outs came against Andorra. John Stones and Harry Maguire are likely to continue at centre-half and neither has been particularly impressive at club level of late, so there are reasons to suggest Albania can make a breakthrough.

Albania have scored in 10 of their last 13 games and have managed 11 in eight qualifiers so far. Ultimately, England should prove too strong for the visitors but backing the hosts simply to win doesn’t offer any value and a home win with both teams to score looks to have a chance at a big price. This contest may be closer than many expect but England can still come through with a 3-1 win here, potentially grabbing a goal late on to finish Albania off as the visitors throw caution to the wind.

Foden can be England’s key man

Phil Foden looks likely to start as Mason Mount is recovering from dental surgery, and the Manchester City man can mark the occasion with a goal.

Foden hasn’t managed a goal in any of his five qualifying appearances as yet but he does have two in 11 games for England overall and heads into this match-up in good form. The 21-year-old has three goals in his last four starts for City, and is the form player in an England attack that will probably also include Kane, Sterling and Jack Grealish.