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Betting preview: England vs Albania – qualification a formality should Three Lions win at Wembley

England's Gareth Southgate speaks with substitute Harry Kane on the touchline during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match at Wembley Stadium, London

With San Marino last up for England, they can all but guarantee a place at the Qatar World Cup with victory over Albania.

The Three Lions have two games left in their group but with the last being against San Marino, it would take a miracle for Gareth Southgate's men to miss out on automatic qualification.

England are unbeaten in their group and that's not expected to change this Friday night considering the home side have a 100% record against Albania.

When, where and how to watch

When: Friday, November 12, 7:45pm GMT

Where: Wembley Stadium

How to watch: ITV

Follow this game live via our score centre

Best bets for England vs Albania

England to win both halves at 20/21

Harry Kane first England goalscorer at 17/10

England to score over 3.5 goals at 3/1

It's been almost a year since England last lost a game in 90 minutes. That defeat came against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League when goals from Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens helped the Red Devils to a 2-0 win.

Since then, England have been on an impressive run which has seen them reach the Euro 2020 final and win 14 from 18 international outings.

Despite this, recent results suggest the Three Lions have taken their foot off the gas somewhat. Two of their last three games ended in 1-1 draws, against Poland and Hungary, results which have prevented Southgate's men from securing qualification at an earlier stage.

The upcoming clash against Albania is an opportunity for England to overshadow recent disappointments. However, with the Three Lions offering little value in the outright market, our opening selection is to back the hosts to win both halves at 20/21.

Last three meetings

Albania 0-2 England (World Cup qualifier - March 28, 2021)

The previous meetings between the two nations saw England prevail in Tirana.

Harry Kane's first-half effort was followed up by a Mason Mount goal after the interval.

While the scoreline may not have been comprehensive, the stats certainly were, with the visitors enjoying almost 70% possession, 718 completed passes and over 50 dangerous attacks.

England 2-0 Albania (World Cup qualifier - September 5, 2001)

You have to go back two decades in order to find the last meeting between these nations in England.
St James' Park was the venue as goals from Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler helped the Three Lions to a 2-0 win.
Albania 1-3 England (World Cup Qualifier - March 28, 2001)
England's visit to Tirana back in 2001 was the only time the Three Lions ever conceded a goal against Albania.
Goals from Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Andy Cole gave the visitors a healthy 3-0 lead going into stoppage time.

Despite the scoreline, the home side did have something to cheer courtesy of a late consolation from Altin Rraklli.

Last five head-to-heads

England wins: 5
Draws: 0
Albania wins: 0
England goals: 14
Albania goals: 1

Chance for Harry Kane to rediscover his scoring touch

One man who is going through a dip in form is Harry Kane. The England and Tottenham captain has scored one goal in eight competitive outings and looks far from his best.

Nevertheless, the 28-year-old has rarely disappointed in England colours. Kane's first goal of England's Southgate era came against Scotland in 2017. Since then, he has gone on to score 34 times in 47 games.

Three of those efforts came in his last four England outings and he will be hoping to continue his goalscoring run this Friday at Wembley.

Kane brings little value to the anytime goalscorer market at 2/5. With that in mind, our second tip is to back the Tottenham man to be England's first goalscorer at a far more enticing price of 17/10.

Albania could provide some resistance

Fans of Italian soccer will be familiar with Albania's manager, Edoardo Reja.
The veteran coach has been involved in management since the late 70s and his experience is beginning to rub off on his players.

Albania are still battling for a play-off place after producing a strong qualifying campaign.

Reja's men have won five of their eight games (one less than England) and have only conceded seven goals - one less than second-placed Poland.
Despite this, England should dominate Friday's encounter considering the wealth of talent to Southgate's disposal. With a sold-out Wembley crowd behind them, there's no reason why the Three Lions shouldn't turn on the style and bag three or four goals.
At the boosted price of 3/1, England are certainly worth a go in the over 3.5 goals market.

Goalscorer bets for England vs Albania 

The aforementioned Kane is certainly the man to watch in front of goal. However, there are also a couple of other interesting options in the betting market.

Phil Foden is certainly one of them. The Manchester City midfielder has scored five goals in his last 13 outings for club and country.

At 11/10, he certainly brings value in the anytime goalscorer market.

With regards to Albania, it's Armando Broja who leads this market.

The 20-year-old Southampton forward has recently recovered from an injury and is expected to take part in Friday's game.

Before his injury, Broja enjoyed a run of three goals in four games. What's more, he has also scored three goals in his last four international appearances - two of them against Hungary.

READ MORE: Bookies have their say on Steven Gerrard’s chances of success at Aston Villa

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