Albania VS Moldova Match Prediction
2019-06-11
18:45:00
Albania
VS
Moldova
Our Prediction Tip
Albania will win this match.
2019-06-1118:45:00 Albania will win this match.
Albania and Moldova have played three times, with Albania winning two European qualifiers back in 1995 before a goalless draw in 2012 in their only other meeting.
Albania’s defeat to Iceland hurts their chances of qualifying for a second consecutive European Championships, but they have time to bounce back.
That starts with their home match against Moldova – a game they should be winning comfortably if they want to stay in contention.
France and Turkey have already made light work of Moldova and Albania will hope to do likewise, particularly with the visitors having been made to work hard for their narrow win against Andorra.
Artur Ionita’s red card could have cost them and it does mean the Cagliari midfielder will miss the game at the very least.
Igor Armas scored Moldova’s goal but it will be his defensive work for which he is judge in Albania and Moldova’s eight goals conceded in two games in March does not bode well.
Albania are hardly prolific themselves, but they have more than enough about them to avoid any unnecessary slip-ups in this game.
Albania are comfortable favourites to beat Moldova at home, with Bet365, Betway and Ladbrokes all offering 8/15 on a home win.
In Elbasan especially, Albania’s defensive form is good. You can bet against both teams to score at 4/9 with Paddy Power, Betfair, Betway, Bet365 and Ladbrokes.
An Albania win to nil – as each of their last two victories were too – is priced at evens with Bet365 and Betway.
Bekim Balaj has scored in each of Albania’s last two wins and he can be backed at 15/8 with Ladbrokes to score at any time.
Albania are comfortable favourites to beat Moldova at home and so they should too, especially if they still harbor any outside hopes of qualifying for the Euros once again.
Among the Albanian players to have withdrawn from the squad through injury are Ledian Memushaj, Eros Grezda and Egzon Binaku, while Andi Lila and Berat Djimsiti also remain sidelined. Captain Mergim Mavraj was not in the match-day squad against Iceland but could return in defence this time out.
Bekim Balaj – The striker has scored in Albania’s last two wins, and now has six goals for his country from 33 appearances.
Armando Sadiku – His goal against Andorra was his 12th for the country, with the Lugano striker boasting a decent one-in-three strike rate at international level.
Elseid Hysaj – The Napoli full-back is one of the most-capped players in the current squad despite being just 25, highlighting his importance and talent.
Albania have been inconsistent at best lately, winning two but losing three of their last five matches. Bekim Balaj scored in both wins – the only goal against Wales in a home friendly and one of the three in Andorra, between Armando Sadiku and Amir Abrashi’s strikes. In between, however, Albania lost 2-0 at home to Turkey and they lost 1-0 in Iceland last time out.
Moldova beat Andorra last time out without captain Alexandru Epureanu, with the Istanbul Basaksehir defender absent from the current squad. Artur Ionita was sent off in that 1-0 win and will miss this game – Eugeniu Cebotaru could start in his place.
Igor Armas – The centre-back scored the only goal of the game last time out but then led Moldova’s ten men to a clean sheet and a 1-0 win.
Radu Ginsari – The Hapoel Haifa winger grabbed a few goals during the UEFA Nations League and now has seven in 32 Moldovan appearances.
Vladimir Ambros – Moldova’s goalscorer against France, with that consolation goal his first at international level.
Moldova ended a four-match winless streak by holding to beat Andorra with ten men last time out. Igor Armas scored early on but Moldova played much of the second-half with ten men after Artur Ionita’s second yellow card. The 1-0 win ensured their first points of this campaign, after they opened with a 4-1 home defeat to France and 4-0 loss in Turkey.
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