Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
Albania are on the cusp of the play-offs — a 3:0 win over Andorra and two draws with Serbia and Latvia keep the team in contention for a World Cup berth. Albania hold third place in the group and trail Serbia by only a couple of points.
Albania
As things stand, the meeting in Tirana will be a real test for Albania: they need to overcome the opposition, stay in third and avoid another slip. The hosts are organised in defence; across four matches they have conceded only three goals, whereas Latvia have struggled at the other end, scoring only two. Albania’s last friendly against one of European football’s weakest national teams, Gibraltar, showed they need to work hard to beat even such an opponent. Fortune was on their side, and the only goal, from the penalty area, gave them the win.
Latvia
Latvia are jittery in this qualifying campaign: they have four points so far, but results have not gone their way. Their only victory came against the group’s bottom side, Andorra, by 1:0. There is a sense that Latvia are present but lacking conviction; the defence stands up reasonably against mid-tier teams, but the attack has plenty of problems.
Albania vs Latvia Prediction
At home, Albania should get the job done, but without flourish; a narrow 1:0 ought to be enough. The game is likely to be controlled and pragmatic to bank three points. Given that Latvia have won only once in their last 13 away matches, Albania should prevail, but they are unlikely to score more than two.
