Last Updated on July 3, 2024
The UEFA Euro 2024 will continue this week with a fantastic match between Albania and Spain. This match is set to be played at the Merkur Spiel Arena on Monday, which will either favor the teams to play their best. Both teams played different experiences this particular season and are in dire need of the points.
Currently, Albania holds the third position in Group B and has shown some strong performances so far. They recently drew 2-2 with Croatia and are hoping to improve in this match.
Spain, on the other hand, is at the top of their group and has been playing really well lately.
They narrowly beat Italy 1-0 in their last game and are feeling confident going into this one.
Historically, Spain has dominated Albania, winning all eight matches they’ve played against each other.
Albania has never beaten Spain in international play. In these games, Albania has always conceded at least two goals, including a 9-0 loss in 1990, which is their worst defeat ever. Spain aims to win their first three games in a single Euro tournament for only the second time, having first achieved this in 2008 when they won the championship.
Based on the games we have seen so far, Spain has been significantly stronger and will likely aim to continue this streak. Players like Lamine Yaman and Nico Williams have shown great performance and most likely will repeat it on Monday. We cannot doubt the strength of the Albanian squad, but based on the data, the Spanish squad seems to have the advantage in this match.
On the same day, Croatia will face Italy at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. Both Italy and Croatia have talented players and are eager to win. The reigning champions are currently placed second in their group, having lost a close game to Spain and need to bounce back quickly. They played well and are also quite motivated to get the points on the board, so they can enter the round of 16 with a victory.
Croatia are last in their group, as a result of their tie against Albania. They underperformed in comparison to Italy, so they will have to do something special to achieve a good result in this game.
Historically, they have fared the better record winning 3 of the last 9 vs Italy. The most impressive stat is that they have not lost to Italy since they first met way back in 1942! The last 8 games they have faced each other have resulted in a draw or win for Croatia. Italy has never beaten Croatia in a tournament including the 2002 World Cup.
Croatia’s fifth match in the group stage will be against the reigning European Champions. Only one time in their past nine European Championship appearances has Italy lost their last group game.
They’re a quality squad, but Spain outperformed them last week. They will need to win to establish their strength and move further. Croatia, for its part, has failed to impress and is clearly not in the best shape of its former team.
With the UEFA Euro 2024 group stage in full swing, it looks like Spain is set to remain in control of the situation against Albania. Their playing form and the historical advantage against Albania give us every reason to assume that their key players will have an opportunity to lead Spain to victory.
Even though Italy is apparently doing better than Spain after their recent loss to the latter in a previous game, they are bound to become even stronger in the match against Croatia and take the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. The current circumstances and the recent playing form of the involved teams suggest that Spain and Italy will have the upper hand.