Albania host San Marino at Elbasan Arena on October 6 in the UEFA Nations League. The sides met on September 29, when Albania won 3-0 away from home. Albania are second in Group 1 with two wins from three matches, while fourth-placed San Marino have lost all three of theirs. Their records point to contrasting challenges: Albania have scored in every Nations League match this campaign, whereas San Marino have yet to find the net. The visitors will be looking to change that record in Elbasan, but the previous meetings give the hosts plenty of encouragement.

Albania's Recent Form and Key Stats

Albania come into this fixture after a 2-1 defeat to Finland on October 3. It was their first loss in this UEFA Nations League campaign, leaving them with two wins, no draws and one defeat. They have scored six goals across those three games, an average of 2.0 per match, and conceded two. Albania have also kept clean sheets in two of their three tournament appearances, including the 3-0 win over San Marino in the reverse fixture.

The broader recent record is more mixed: Albania's last five matches have produced two wins and three defeats, with averages of 1.2 goals scored and 0.8 conceded. Their longer-running results, however, suggest that matches involving Albania have often stayed below a high goals total. Under 3.5 total goals have been recorded in their last 21 matches, their last 19 home matches and their last 13 UEFA Nations League matches. In 14 of Albania's last 15 home games, at least one of the two teams failed to score. That home trend is particularly relevant against a visiting side still awaiting its first goal of this campaign.

San Marino's Recent Form and Key Stats

San Marino lost 4-0 to Belarus on October 3 and remain without a point after three UEFA Nations League games. They have conceded 14 goals without scoring in the competition so far. Their defeats include a 7-0 loss to Finland and the 3-0 home loss to Albania. Across their last five matches in all competitions, San Marino have five defeats, averaging 0.4 goals scored and 3.6 conceded per game.

The visitors have lost their last 13 matches and have conceded at least twice in each of their last 10. Their away record presents another difficulty: San Marino have conceded in each of their last 19 away fixtures and have not drawn any of them. They have also gone 19 away matches without winning at half-time, a run that forms part of a 40-match sequence without a half-time lead in all fixtures. Although over 2.5 total goals have featured in San Marino's last 10 matches, their recent Nations League results show that the goals have not been coming from them.

Albania vs San Marino Match Analysis

The head-to-head record favors Albania: they have won all five recorded meetings with San Marino, scoring an average of 3.2 goals per match and conceding none. Their latest meeting continued that pattern with a 3-0 result. For San Marino, the immediate task is therefore not only to improve on three straight Nations League defeats, but also to register a first goal against this opponent.

There are reasons to consider both the result and the scoring pattern in this Albania vs San Marino preview. Albania have the stronger campaign record and have scored in every match so far. San Marino, meanwhile, have conceded in 16 consecutive matches and have been beaten in each of their last 13. Yet Albania's home figures also indicate that a game does not need goals at both ends: at least one team has failed to score in 14 of their last 15 home matches. San Marino's scoreless start to the competition and Albania's two clean sheets in three Nations League games reinforce that reading.

The number of goals is less straightforward. San Marino's last 10 games have all gone over 2.5 total goals, while Albania's last 21 have stayed under 3.5. Those trends can overlap, as the 3-0 reverse fixture demonstrates, but neither changes the central question for this meeting: can San Marino break a scoring drought against a team they have never scored against? Albania's defensive record and the history between these sides make that a significant hurdle for the visitors.

Albania vs San Marino prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (No) with 69% probability.