Gibraltar — Albania : Match Preview and Prediction for September 04,2025

Gibraltar’s Underestimated Potential

Positioned at 199th in the FIFA rankings, Gibraltar might initially appear to be a clear underdog. However, a deeper analysis is crucial. Rather than focusing solely on their loss record, it’s more insightful to examine the quality of their performances against teams of comparable strength.

Recent Resilience Against Faroe Islands

Gibraltar’s most recent official fixture was an away match against the Faroe Islands. What stood out? Gibraltar actually opened the scoring, courtesy of Manchester United academy product James Scanlon. While they ultimately suffered a 2-1 defeat, the team demonstrated significant fight, losing by the narrowest of margins instead of collapsing.

Chances Created Against Montenegro

Even before that, an away World Cup qualifier against Montenegro saw another 3-1 loss, but crucially, Gibraltar again managed to find the net against a robust European mid-tier opponent. Their Expected Goals (xG) statistic in that game was 1.27, indicating the creation of genuine scoring opportunities, not just fortunate deflections. This team possesses the ability to challenge opponents and generate offensive chances.

Assessing the Favorites: Albania’s Form

Now, let’s turn our attention to the presumed favorites. In 2025, Albania has remained undefeated against all opponents except for the formidable England national team. While this record sounds impressive, their recent performances raise questions about their offensive potency.

Struggles Against Organized Defenses

In June, the Albanian national team could only manage a 1-1 draw against Latvia in an official fixture. This followed a goalless draw against Serbia. These outcomes highlight that the team faces considerable challenges when trying to break down well-organized defenses and is not consistently capable of achieving landslide victories.

Albania’s Troubled Preparations

Furthermore, Albania’s preparations for this upcoming match are reportedly taking place amidst a tense atmosphere. Defender Adrian Bajrami’s departure to represent Switzerland has caused a significant stir, forcing head coach Sylvinho to divert his attention to public comments and phone calls rather than focusing on tactical readiness. Adding to their woes, key midfielder Ylber Ramadani, forward Ernest Muçi, and goalkeeper Elhan Kastrati are all sidelined due to injuries.

Coach Sylvinho’s Priorities & Squad Rotation

Head coach Sylvinho has explicitly stated that their most critical upcoming fixture is the qualification match against Latvia. The friendly encounter with Gibraltar is viewed as merely ‘a good test’ and ‘an opportunity to observe players in action.’ This sends a clear signal that squad rotation and experimentation with new tactical setups are likely, with the match result not being the primary focus. Additionally, their main attacking star, Armando Broja from Burnley, has been called up despite lingering doubts about his physical condition.