Czechia take on the visitors Albania in the round 3 match of UEFA Nations League group stage. The match will be played on Friday, October 11th at epet ARENA (Prague).
Czech Republic tries to stabilize the situation. "Lokomotiva" performed quite confidently in last year's qualifiers, securing a direct spot at the Euros, while the higher-rated Poles had to settle for the playoffs. However, the Czechs were disappointing at the actual tournament, particularly in defense. The symbol of their failure was Granach, who made several costly mistakes—both individually and as part of a struggling defense, led by the goalkeeper. After earning just 1 point, Ivan Hašek’s team exited the competition after the group stage. Even worse, they only managed a 1-1 draw against Georgia in Germany—having lost 1-4 to the same team in the opening round. It wasn’t until playing a crisis-stricken Ukraine in Prague that they secured a 3-2 victory.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Albania surprised many before the Euro qualifiers by appointing Silvinho, a Brazilian who was an accomplished fullback as a player but had limited experience and rather average results as a coach. However, last year he managed to achieve great success with his new team, collecting the same 15 points as the Czechs—four more than the nominal favorites, Poland. At the Euros, Albania found themselves in an extremely tough group with Italy, Spain, and Croatia. In the end, they only managed to get 1 point, thanks to a 2-2 draw with Croatia, which was secured in the final attack of the match, in the 95th minute. In the Nations League this fall, they won a "technically away" match against Ukraine, 2-1. However, they then lost at home to the surprising group leader, Georgia.
"Lokomotiva" won a friendly in 2021, but in the Euro qualifiers, they picked up only 1 point from 2 matches: 1-1 at home and a 0-3 loss away. The Czechs are considered the clear favorites, and rightfully so—they are playing at home. However, Albania under Silvinho has shown significant improvement, and a bet on them to win with a "+1 goal" handicap seems reasonable.
Prediction for the match: Albania to win with +1.0 handicap.
