Prediction: Albania vs Serbia

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 11/10

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Looking to secure consecutive wins in World Cup 2026 qualifying Group K, Albania host Serbia at the Arena Kombetare in Tirana on Saturday night.

The hosts claimed three points from a possible six in March, while Serbia are yet to kick off their qualifying campaign but still avoid sitting bottom of the group.

Albania

After falling to Thomas Tuchel’s revamped England side, Albania bounced back in ideal fashion with a comfortable home win over Andorra on matchday two.

Former Barcelona forward Rey Manaj struck twice within the opening 20 minutes, before Myrto Uzuni’s late header sealed a 3-0 triumph for the Red and Blacks, who are chasing a second straight major tournament appearance following their brief Euro 2024 campaign.

Led by ex-Barcelona and Arsenal full-back Sylvinho—ed by assistant coach and Premier League winner Pablo Zabaleta—Albania currently sit second in Group K, a position that would earn them a playoff spot, though qualifying remains in its early stages.

With Andorra and Latvia not expected to contend for the top two spots, Albania and Serbia may ultimately battle it out for second place behind group favourites England, as the Red and Blacks aim to qualify for their first-ever World Cup finals.

Should England slip up against Andorra, Sylvinho’s men could temporarily take top spot in Group K, and with four wins from their last five home World Cup qualifiers, Albania have reason to be optimistic.

Team News

Sylvinho has a wealth of attacking options for the clashes with Serbia and Latvia, as Chelsea’s Armando Broja competes with Manaj and Uzuni for a place in the Brazilian’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup.

Broja’s limited minutes at Everton late in the season may count against him, while Manaj—who missed Sivasspor’s final two league games due to a groin issue—may require careful management.

Albania’s leadership trio all ply their trade in Italy: captain Berat Djimsiti (Atalanta), vice-captain Elseid Hysaj (Lazio), and third captain Ardian Ismajli (Empoli). Hysaj, currently on 89 caps, is just five appearances away from setting a new all-time men’s record for Albania, suring Lorik Cana.

Serbia

While Albania are already deep into their qualifying campaign, Serbia had a delayed start to their World Cup journey after needing to secure their place in the Nations League’s top tier back in March.

Having finished third in their League A group, Dragan Stojkovic’s side were forced into a two-legged relegation/promotion playoff against League B hopefuls Austria. A 1-1 draw away in the first leg gave Serbia a slight edge.

Just three days later, second-half goals from Nemanja Maksimovic and Dusan Vlahovic wrapped up a 3-1 aggregate win for the Eagles, ensuring they maintained their League A status and extended their unbeaten run to four matches.

Serbia now begin their quest for a third consecutive World Cup appearance with a trip to Tirana, though they have yet to progress beyond the group stage at the finals as an independent nation.

Their only official competitive meeting with Albania saw Serbia win 2-0 in Euro 2016 qualifying, courtesy of two injury-time goals. Their earlier encounter in October 2014 was famously abandoned after a drone carrying a flag bearing Albanian nationalist symbols sparked crowd trouble in Belgrade; Albania were later controversially awarded a 3-0 victory, with Serbia punished further with a three-point deduction, which combined to eventually strip them of participation in Euro 2016.

Team News

Stojkovic will be without first-choice goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, who has undergone surgery for a thigh injury.

As a result, Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic is set to start between the posts on Saturday. Up front, Stojkovic must decide whether to go with one of Vlahovic or Aleksandar Mitrovic, or deploy both in his preferred 3-5-2 formation.

If Mitrovic starts, it will mark his 99th international appearance, and he could become just the fifth Serbian man to reach 100 caps later this month. His next goal will also be his 60th for the national team.

Conclusion

Despite possessing an abundance of attacking talent, Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic has not consistently unlocked the full potential of a Vlahovic-Mitrovic pairing, and Saturday’s contest is unlikely to turn into a goal-fest.

Nevertheless, Serbia’s solid defensive unit should be well-equipped to contain Albania’s forward threats, and a single goal could be enough for the visitors to kick off their qualifying campaign with a narrow win.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 11/10

Bookmaker: ZetBet