Russia are not in contention due to the nation’s military invasion of Ukraine, which allows Albania and Israel a great opportunity to go atop Group B2.
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Albania and Israel are coming into this UEFA Nations League fixture on the back of draws in their respective openers, as both will be keen to get their first win of the tournament. Albania played out a 1-1 draw against Iceland, while Israel came from behind to secure a late point against the same opponents. Russia are not in contention due to the nation’s military invasion of Ukraine, which allows Albania and Israel a great opportunity to go atop Group B2. Hence a winner on Friday will have a significant advantage over the others.
Albania are placed 66th in the FIFA rankings, while Israel are ten places behind at the 76th spot. With not much to separate them in the rankings, it will be difficult to call a winner. The home advantage might give Albania a slight superiority, however, they need to be at the top of their game to get something out of the game. Besides, their recent form is not too promising. Albania are yet to win a match this year and their last victory came against Andorra at the end of 2021.
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On the other hand, Israel’s record is neither impressive. They are also winless in the current calendar year, drawing two and losing the other against Germany. Their last victory was against Faroe Islands at the end of 2021. Recent forms do not help both sides. Hence, these two teams have to do a lot on Friday to register their first victory in 2022. Irrespective of the rankings and home advantage, it will be too difficult to pick a winner. The match could be a tight one, with both sides having an equal chance of getting the three points.
Armando Broja, who has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, is a major doubt for Albania on Friday. It is not yet clear whether he will be able to participate in the match. Bekim Balaj could be used as an alternative in the scenario that Broja does not make the cut for Friday’s clash. Not many changes are expected for Israel either. Shon Weissman, who scored in the last match after coming on as a substitute, could be given a start this time. It is not clear whether they will make any other changes to the first team.
Albania possible line-up: Berisha, Balliu, Djimsiti, Ismajli, Kumbulla, Hysaj, Gjasula, Abrashi, Cekici, Balaj, Cikalleshi
Israel possible line-up: Marciano, Dasa, Goldberg, Miguel Vitor, Leidner, Peretz, Fani, Karzev, Abada, Weissman, Solomon
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The UEFA Nations League match between Albania and Israel will take place at the Air Albania Stadium on Saturday, 12:15 am IST.
Select UEFA Nations League 2022-23 matches will be telecast live on the Sony TEN network in India. Besides, live streaming of these matches will be available on SonyLIV and JioTV apps and OTT platforms in India.
