Albania vs Belarus — Tips & Analysis

Under 2.25: Albania should control this one, but they are not a team that runs up a score. They have scored more than one goal once in their last ten competitive games. Their last three wins were all 1-0, over Latvia, Serbia and Andorra. Albania score less than a goal a game and let in under a goal a game. Their games have almost 2 goals in them on average. Belarus are even quieter. They have won 1 of their last 12 games and tied six of them, and they barely score, at well under a goal a game. Belarus set up to survive, so expect a deep block and Albania trying to break it down. Neither side has played a competitive game in a long time. Albania have had 184 days since their last game and Belarus 312. Cold teams and a packed defense usually add up to a slow, stop-start night. A 1-0 Albania win is the likeliest finish, and that is the game we want. The risk is that Belarus fall apart instead. When they get beaten, they often get beaten badly, losing 0-6 at home to Denmark and 1-5 at Greece in their last qualifying campaign. One early Albania goal could turn this into a rout. Albania have not been that team for a long while, so we are staying with the low scoring night.