Albania take on Spain in the round 3 match of UEFA Euro-2024 group stage. The match will be played on Monday, June 24th at Merkur Spiel-Arena (Düsseldorf).
Albania tries to challenge the favorites. The "Red and Blacks" still remain not outright underdogs in European football, but certainly no more than mid-tier. Before the current cycle, their only success was qualifying for Euro 2016, where they even managed a win in one of their matches. They made a mark again last year by defeating and overtaking Poland, finishing level with the Czech Republic to qualify directly for the championship. Despite mixed results in friendly matches (losing to Chile and Sweden in March but beating Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan in early summer), the underdogs started the Euro with a record – the fastest goal in the tournament's history. However, after Bajrami's goal, caused by a severe mistake from Dimarco who assisted the Albanian from a throw-in, the Italians responded twice within fifteen minutes to take the lead. In the second half, particularly towards the end, the underdogs almost punished the favorites for trying to play it safe, but it ended 1-2. They also fought hard against Croatia, not giving up even after what seemed like a decisive own goal – instead, Gjasula scored in the dying moments to make it 2-2, turning from a villain to the one who kept their hopes alive.
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Spain managed to clinch the Nations League trophy a year ago. Concurrently, despite starting March with a 0-2 loss to Scotland (after thrashing Norway), the team under new coach De la Fuente confidently qualified. Yes, there were setbacks in March 2023 – a 0-1 loss to Colombia and a 3-3 draw with Brazil. But then, after warming up with 5-goal victories against Andorra and Northern Ireland, they began the Euro with a commanding win over Croatia – an opponent they had only beaten on penalties the previous summer. This time, Ruiz assisted Morata and then scored himself, making it 3-0 by halftime. In the next round, they faced another familiar opponent, Italy. They showcased an incredible level of play, ultimately winning 1-0 while dominating the majority of the match. Now, of course, the coaching staff will likely use this opportunity to give match practice to the reserves.
There have been a total of 8 matches, including a friendly two years ago. All were won by "La Furia Roja". The "Red and Blacks" are motivated, but the reserves of "La Furia Roja" simply possess a higher level of skill – we bet on the nominal guests with a handicap of "-1 goal".
Prediction for the match: Spain to win with -1.0 handicap.
