The international break is upon us, and the UEFA region switches its focus entirely. Now every single European nation will concentrate on the 2020 UEFA European Championship Qualifiers . With that in mind, France will host Albania in the worldwide known Stade de France, easily one of the most recognizable venues all over the world, in Group H action. Kick-off for this match is slated at 19:45 BST. Jesus Gil Manzano will be the referee.
France
The reigning World Cup title holders have responded to that label during the European Championship Qualifiers thus far. Through the first four games, Les Bleus lead a surprisingly tight Group H since they sit at the top of the standings with nine points and a +9 goal differential. Turkey and Iceland also have nine points, and Albania have six, meaning things could get even tighter if a series of results happen during the next few days. But if we look at the form, then we can see France are clearly head and shoulders above the other teams in this zone. Didier Deschamps men have scored exactly four goals in each of their three wins during the European Championship Qualifiers, and their lone defeat came in a tough trip to Turkey last June. Since the end of the 2018 World Cup, France are W7, D2, L2 in all matches, including friendlies. Can they extend that positive run with another win here? At the very least, France deserve the favourites tag ahead of this contest.
Team News
There are no injuries for France ahead of this match. However, key players such as N Golo Kante and Kylian Mbappe were not included on the squad due to ailments.
Albania
Albania have been surprisingly good so far in the European Championship Qualifiers if we look at the numbers. The Balkan side has six points in the first four matches (W2, L2), but if we look at things from a deeper perspective, then we can see things have gone as planned for The Eagles. Albania defeated Moldova at home and Andorra away, but they also lost at home against Turkey and on the road against Iceland. They already reached the European Championships four years ago, and they are looking to return to the tournament next year. But to do that, they need to conquer better results against the likes of Turkey and Iceland, perhaps knowing defeating France is not an easy thing to do. Perhaps the lone positive thing for Albania ahead of this game is the fact that they have already taken points against France in two of their last five H2H meetings (W1, D1, L3). Can they pull the upset one more time?
Team News
Albania are at full strength ahead of this tie.
Key Factors to Consider
