The Thomas Tuchel era begins tomorrow evening as England host Albania in the first of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
In a group also featuring Andorra, Latvia and Serbia, the Three Lions are expected to secure top spot with ease and matchdays to spare.
The pressure is on serial winner Tuchel to deliver a first major international trophy since 1966 after the near misses under the tutelage of Sir Gareth Southgate.
Trusted UK betting site NetBet has provided a full match preview for the German manager’s debut on the international scene, complete with some football betting tips.
And we also have a fantastic England vs Albania Offer for all of our customers. Place a £10 Bet Builder on the match with minimum odds of 3.00 and we will reward you with a £5 Free Bet!
England vs Albania
Friday, March 21, 7.45pm
Wembley Stadium, London
Live on ITV
England vs Albania Preview
Since Southgate’s departure following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, England have been fairly impressive.
The Three Lions won five of their six Nations League matches, beating the Republic of Ireland 5-0 in the previous Wembley outing.
However, England did suffer a shock 2-1 loss to Greece on home soil, a match which served as a timely reminder of the difficulty level this managerial task will provide Tuchel.
The German boss has won silverware at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
But this may be his toughest assignment yet, despite the plethora of world-class players he has to pick from – including captain Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and many, many more.
Albania should provide Tuchel with the perfect first hurdle to overcome, as their quality was there for all to see at Euro 2024.
A poor Nations League campaign, in which they finished bottom of League B Group 1 with seven points, is no excuse for England players to take the opposition lightly.
England have played Albania six times in their history, winning all six of those matches and conceding just the one goal.
The last time the two sides met at Wembley in November 2021, the Three Lions claimed a 5-0 victory.
England vs Albania Odds
*All odds are subject to change
England are priced at just 1.13 to get the Tuchel era up and running in style. An Albania win is priced at 17.00, while the draw is 6.60.
England vs Albania Betting Tips
England first goalscorer – Harry Kane @ 2.50
England’s skipper and record scorer could thrive more than ever under Tuchel’s leadership. The new manager’s formation – which we are expecting to feature marauding wing-backs and quick wingers – should suit Kane perfectly. So we are backing the Bayern striker to quickly get off the mark in the Tuchel era.
Over 4.5 goals in the match @ 4.05
If England score early, it could be a long night for Albania. A repeat of the November 2021 victory?
England to win and both teams to score @ 3.47
But while England should win comfortably, injuries in defence could present Albania with the chance to score themselves. John Stones, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are all not part of the squad due to injury, with Newcastle’s Dan Burn in line for a debut.
England Squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Kyle Walker (AC Milan), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Reece James (Chelsea), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
Predicted England XI
Formation: 3-4-3
XI: Pickford, Walker, Guehi, Colwill, James, Rice, Bellingham, Livramento, Foden, Kane, Gordon
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