Holders Italy will be confident of starting their Euro 2024 campaign with a win on Saturday night when they take on Albania in Dortmund.
The Azzurri have never lost to Albania, having won 3-1, 1-0, 2-0 and 1-0 in their most recent meetings.
However, Albania enjoyed an impressive qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 and finished ahead of Poland and the Czech Republic in their group.
They were solid defensively, while Jasir Asani and Nedim Bajrami each scored three goals at the other end. Fulham forward Armando Broja can also pose a threat.
But an Italy side packed with talent and experience should prove too strong.
Italy vs Albania team news
Nicolo Barella is a doubt for Italy, while Nicolo Fagioli has been ruled out with a minor injury.
Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter Milan), Giovanni di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Federico Gatti (Juventus)
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Fagioli (Juventus), Michael Folorunsho (Verona), Davide Frattesi (Inter Milan), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)
Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
Albania squad
Goalkeepers: Etrit Berisha (Empoli), Thomas Strakosha (Brentford), Elhan Kastrati (Cittadella)
Defenders: Berat Djimsiti (Atalanta), Elseid Hysaj (Lazio), Ivan Balliu (Rayo Vallecano), Ardian Ismajli (Empoli), Arlind Ajeti (CFR Cluj), Naser Aliji (Voluntari), Mario Mitaj (Lokomotiv Moscow), Enea Mihaj (Famalicao), Marash Kumbulla (Sassuolo)
Midfielders: Amir Abrashi, Kristjan Asllani (Inter Milan), Nedim Bajrami (Sassuolo), Medon Berisha (Lecce), Klaus Gjasula (Darmstadt), Qazim Laci (Sparta Prague), Ernest Muci (Besiktas), Ylber Ramadani (Lecce)
Forwards: Jasir Asani (Gwangju FC), Armando Broja (Fulham), Mirlind Daku (Rubin Kazan), Arber Hoxha (Dinamo Zagreb), Rey Manaj (Sivasspor), Taulant Seferi (Baniyas)
Predicted starting XIs
Italy XI: Donnarumma; Darmian, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Di Lorenzo, Jorginho, Cristante, Dimarco; Frattesi, Chiesa; Scamacca
Albania XI:…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CaughtOffside…