ONE of the Euro minnows who will compete in a major tournament for only the second time in their history.
But for anyone who expects the Balkan State to simply turn into what appears to be a group of death, then consider how they got there. Germany in the first place.
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They showed their fighting spirit in their opening game against Italy, scoring the fastest goal in European Championship history in a 2-1 defeat.
The Rouge and Blacks, led by former Arsenal left-back Sylvinho, topped a qualifying group that involved Czech Republic and Robert Lewandowski’s Poland, losing just once.
Premier League interest centers around west London, with Brentford goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha likely to start between the posts.
And they have Chelsea attacker Armando Broja is desperate to prove his credentials to potential buyers.
Manager: Sylvinho
Just the mere mention of his name conjures up memories of that thunderbolt for Arsenal in Chelsea in 2000.
The first Brazilian to play for the Gunners, where he played 55 games, he won a pile of trophies at Barcelona as a left-back – and six caps for Brazil.
He retired in 2010 after a brief spell at Manchester City, before managing Lyon and Corinthians in his homeland.
Sylvinho, 50, took charge of Albania last year and has already achieved his number 1 goal of qualifying for Euro 2024.
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Key man: Elseid Hysaj
A Serie A strongman married to a former Miss Albania, Lazio Full-back Hysaj became the youngest player to wear his country’s armband when he captained the team against Qatar in 2016.
The 30-year-old could leave Roma this summer as he still has a year left on his contract.
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How they attack
Albania took everyone by surprise by winning their qualifying group for this tournament, ahead of the likes of Poland and the Czech Republic, but despite this strong performance, they are likely to still struggle this summer.
This is especially true considering they were drawn in group B with Spain, Croatia and Italy.
In the attack phase we can expect to see Albania build from deeper positions.
When they have possession of the ball in deeper areas, one of the central midfielders will drop to form a three with the central defenders.
This helps Albania to play under pressure.
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As they move into the middle and final thirds, they are not a team that tends to rely on attacking via crosses from wide positions.
Instead, they will try to run ahead of the ball to open up spaces that will allow passes to be made centrally to the striker or to the wide players as they enter.
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As they enter the final third and threaten the box, a midfielder and two full-backs will join the attacker.
They look to attack the area at angles to provide options and threats.
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How do they defend
Albania are more effective and much more solid and strong when they enter a medium or deep defensive block to cut space.
They have aggressive and strong players against the ball, but when they try to press higher they can lose structure and be played over or outside.
When pressing from a higher structure, your wide attackers can be caught too high, instead of forming a more effective block with the three midfielders.
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When defending in a medium defensive block they will block spaces and passing lines in central spaces.
Ylber Ramadani brings a sense of solidity to the Albanian structure, given his willingness to work and fill gaps consistently.
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As the opposition moves into the final third, we see Albania drop back to defend in a deep block, with little space in or around the box.
The Albanians will then try to win the first contact on any cross before attacking in transition.
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Prediction
Albania will face one of the best third-placed teams if they somehow manage to top the group.
By finishing second, they would likely face Hungary or Switzerland in the round of 16, giving them a chance to reach the quarter-finals.
With favorites England likely to be on the lookout, that could be as far as the Balkan side can go.
Latest odds
Albania is a stranger to go all the way.
William Hill has priced them at a staggering 500/1.
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Fans of wags and glamor
Nicknamed the Albanian Laura Woods, Eva Murati has gathered a large number of followers on social media.
The stunning Champions League presenter has also worked as a model and actress.
She is fluent in Italian and has worked for Tring TV since 2017.
Albanian rapper Loredana has a huge following on Instagram with over 3 million fans and is currently in a relationship with Karim Adeyemi.
Her boyfriend was not part of the German team, but she may appear at Albania’s games.
Hysaj and former Miss Albania Fiorenza Lekstakaj got married in a stunning castle in her hometown in 2019.
London-born Grammy winner Dua Lipa has Albanian heritage and recently received Albanian citizenship.
President Bajram Begaj said this was due to her role in promoting the country.
said Lipa was granted citizenship before the 110th anniversary of Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Begaj said he considered it an honor to do so because Lipa made Albanians famous throughout the world.
She said: “I will also be an Albanian with documents.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
