Albania 0-4 Scotland match report
And with that, we’ll leave you for the evening. Thanks for reading.
Here’s the Nations League round-up, updated with some details on Italy 0-0 Portugal.
Eck speaks: “I’m delighted. I had a good feeling before the game, and I thought that if they brought their level we would get a positive result. We wanted to try being as aggressive as we could, to get balls forward rather than side passes. It was an exceptionally professional performance from our lads - it’s hard to single one player out. We know what we have to do [on Tuesday], but this result gives us a decent fillip.”
Roberto Mancini has got this game nailed:
In football, scoring goals is an important detail.
We dominated Portugal and then had a drop in tempo after 70 minutes, which is only to be expected, as we can’t play in their half for 90 minutes. It’s a step forward compared to the Poland game, as Portugal are clearly superior to Poland and we controlled the game throughout.
We tried to play for a result and also give valuable experience to the younger players.
Doesn’t sound overly fussed, does he?
As for Italy, they all deserve a thrashing with a wet slipper. In the first half they played but didn’t convert the chances they created, but after the break they showed all the application of a bean bag, and ultimately got exactly what they deserved. Portugal have another game, against Poland on Tuesday, but they don’t need it as they will finish top of the group, meaning they’re not only through to the finals next summer but they will have home advantage there too.
Well then. What a terrific display that was from Scotland. They always looked in control, of course helped by the fact Albania played with ten men for nearly 70 minutes, but they were well on top before that too. The goals were top notch, particularly the first and the fourth from Ryan Fraser and James Forrest respectively, and they now have the chance to win their group by beating Israel at Hampden Park on Tuesday. Albania will finish bottom, although it remains to be seen whether they are relegated - depends on how rubbish some of the other teams are.
Full-time: Italy 0-0 Portugal
Peeeeeeeeep!
Full-time: Albania 0-4 Scotland
Peeeeeeeep.
Into injury time in both games: Italy look like they’re run out of ideas, while Scotland are basically giving it the olés.
Oh, Italy. Another significant chance for them, as Pellegrini is free from a corner in the area. He has to backpedal slightly and use his neck muscles from the header, but he should still have made Patricio work more than simply putting up his hands to catch the thing.
“Just to let you know Ianis Hagi has just made his national debut for Romania,” writes Pablo Miguez. “Yes, Gheorghe’ s son.”
Mercy.
One more swing from the bench for Italy: Chiesa is off, Domenico Berardi comes on.
Not quite. Phillips is playing in the middle, it’s just not really his position. And we can let Eck off doing this after a performance like this...
. @NickMiller79 Did I read that correctly? #Scotland are taking one from Craig Levein's playbook and are playing a 6-4-0 ?#ALBvSCO
— TheStellarossa (@TheStellaRossa) November 17, 2018
Here’s a bit of something for Italy. Insigne tries to curl a shot in from 25-odd yards, running into space made when Mario Rui and Chiesa collided - and by ‘collided’, I mean he elbowed his opponent in the mush then threw himself to the floor, claiming the foulest of mischief.
Another roll of the dice from Mancini, as he brings Lorenzo Pellegrini on for Verratti. Which seems a bit odd. But Italy do need someone to do something: they’ve been dreadfully limp for at least 20 minutes now.
Scotland miss a sitter! Specifically, McTominay, after Christie dummies a pass giving the Manchester United man a shot from ten yards out, but he spoons it as the ball clips the bar on its way to the running track. Happily for them, it won’t make the slightest bit of difference.
Portugal go close again! William Carvalho shoots low and with some power, it skips up before it reaches the hitherto basically redundant Gigi Donnarumma, but he dives superbly down to his left to save.
Peter Oh writes: “Do any other parents out there find the Nations League format about as hard to keep track of as the connection among all of the superhero movies that have been released in recent years? For example, is today’s episode Justice League of Nations, or Avengers: Infinity Nations League?! I have no idea!”
Italy’s big plan is set into motion: the implausibly named Kevin Lasagna comes on for Immobile. Bonucci got booked a few minutes ago, for what I confess I don’t know. Hope that helps.
Portugal go close! Neves pings a stupendous long ball out to the right for Cancelo, who cuts back to Joao Mario in the area but he dithers slightly, and hoofs the shot over the bar.
The excellent Ryan Fraser gets a rest, replaced by Johnny Russell.
Scotland are so far ahead Alex McLeish has decided they can do without a specialist centre-forward: Matt Phillips comes on for Fletcher.
GOAL! Albania 0-4 Scotland (Forrest 67)
We’re into rout territory now, and in the words of Shakin’ Stevens, that was lovely stuff. Fraser cuts the ball back to Forrest he dinks it over the outstretched leg of a defender with his right foot, then wallops a volley with his left into the net.
It’s been pretty quiet in Italy v Portugal. That superiority in possession has turned into sterile domination for Roberto Mancini’s men, and they’ve haven’t been able to create a decent chance in a while, never mind score a goal. The Italian brains trust on the bench have been involved in a lengthy conflab to find a solution to the inertia.
Updated
Scotland have the ball in the net, as some neat passing after a short corner gets the ball to Forrest, who stabs towards the six yard box where David Bates turns it into the bottom corner, but the Hamburg defender was offside. Meanwhile, Scott McTominay comes on, replacing Armstrong.
A brief stramash: McKenna goes up for a header with Rey ‘Nicki’ Manaj, whose Anaconda definitely don’t want the Scotland man to basically land on him. McKenna then weirdly rolls over his opponent, leading to Manaj giving him a little elbow to the back of the head. McKenna goes into the book, but Manaj doesn’t, which is just as well for him as he’s already been booked. Shrewdly, Manaj is promptly substituted, in favour of Bekim Banaj.
A rare attack for Albania, as Azuni gets down the right of the box, flicks a cross to the back stick where Grezda tries a shot, but he drags it comfortably wide.
A bit a of a scuffle in Milan as Bruma expresses his no-uncertain-terms unhappiness with a challenge by Jorginho, and with good reason. The Chelsea midfielder (possibly unintentionally) put his studs down the winger’s ankle, and received the appropriate booking.
GOAL! Albania 0-3 Scotland (Forrest 55)
If it wasn’t it before, it’s it now. James Forrest bags his first international goal, set through on goal with a lovely through ball from (I think) Christie, he lifts the ball over the keeper, who gets a palm to it but not enough of one to prevent it bouncing into the corner.
Updated
Another change for Albania: Djimsiti picks up an injury, and is replaced by Kastriot Dermaku.
Verratti has probably been Italy’s best player against Portugal, and he emphasises the point by spanking a brilliant pass to Insigne in the area, but the striker’s control doesn’t match the midfielder’s vision and another chance slips away.
It’s worth remembering that this is a patchwork Scotland side: nine players withdrew from the squad Alex McLeish initially picked, including Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, Leigh Griffiths and Tom Cairney. That’s forgetting Matt Ritchie, who withdrew his name from consideration, and James McArthur, who retired from international duty in October. Thus, a performance this strong against a side only ten places below them in the Fifa rankings is properly impressive.
We’re back, and both games are once more underway.
In Milan, Italy have most certainly been on top: they’ve had a whopping 73% of possession, according to WhoScored, ten shots to Portugal’s two and have generally dominated hugely. And yet, no goals. Unless they’re more decisive after the break, they’ll continue to be frustrated.
That could hardly have gone better for Scotland. They’ve had the occasional shonky moment at the back, but have looked threatening going forwards - particularly from Fraser and Forrest out wide - and have their two goals. Plus, they’re playing against ten men. It will take some effort to muff it up from here, but if anyone can...
Half-time: Albania 0-2 Scotland
Peeeeeeeeeeeeep!
Half-time: Italy 0-0 Portugal
Peeeeeeeeeeeeep!
GOAL! Albania 0-2 Scotland (Fletcher 45+2)
Left foot, keeper goes the wrong way, and this now looks in the bag for Scotland.
Updated
Penalty to Scotland!
Scotland have a free-kick, a hair to the left of centre, Stuart Armstrong sizes it up and strikes it straight into the wall. But what’s this?!? The referee spots a hand, and that seems extremely harsh. Still, up steps Steven Fletcher...
Italy have a free-kick just outside the box after Barella is tripped by Neves. Insigne licks his lips like a cartoon wolf, lines up the shot...but sticks it straight into the wall.
Callum Patterson is wearing an absolutely unforgivable moustache. You would’ve thought Neil Warnock might’ve beaten this sort of caper out of him.
Callum Paterson Movember tache is a work of art #ALBSCO pic.twitter.com/nzQDLOZT6f
— Scot Munroe (@scot_munroe) November 17, 2018
Another big chance for Italy: Bonucci finds himself unmarked from a corner, eight yards out but sticks his header a yard the wrong side of the post. Eesh, should’ve buried that. Some of the crowd thought it was in: it hit the stanchion behind the goal, then rolled along the back of the net.
Forrest wiggles his way into some space on the right side of the box and skims a low ball across the six yard box, but it’s too far in front of Fletcher.
Chance for Immobile, brilliantly picked out with a threaded-needle pass by Verratti, but Patricio is rapidly off his line and blocks the shot with his legs.
Ruben Neves gets a booking for barging Barella to the floor - that means the Wolves maestro will miss Portugal’s game against Poland on Tuesday. But if all goes to plan for the Portuguese, that will be a dead rubber anyway.
Updated
Grezda absent-mindedly wanders past Patterson on the left for Albania - far too easily, from a Scotland point of view - and crosses to Manaj. He controls, turns and shoots, but his first effort is blocked, then Callum McGregor gets a boot in and wins a free kick for his trouble.
Is this good? It seems like this is good.
12 - Ryan Fraser has been directly involved in 12 goals in 16 appearances for club and country combined in 2018-19 (five goals and seven assists). Talent. pic.twitter.com/P06dJtPeBh
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 17, 2018
Change for Albania, to cover for the red card and the required defensive reorganisation: midfielder Ergys Kace is the one given the hook, in favour of defender Ardian Ismajli.
Biraghi drives into the box for Italy, sort of stumbles into the back of Cancelo when it becomes clear he doesn’t have control of the ball, and with adorable optimism appeals for a penalty. It is not given.
RED CARD! Mavraj sent off!
Well then. What an odd interlude. The Albanian skipper Mergim Mavraj goes in for a tackle on Fraser, his foot rolls over the ball and into the winger’s shins. That’s enough for a yellow card, which the referee flashes, but then Christie confronts Mavraj, and gets a headbutt in response, and it’s the long walk for him.
Half-decent effort by Nicolo Barella: after some tricksy work and dancing footwork in the box by Marco Verratti, he lays it back to the Cagliari midfielder who looks for the top corner, but couldn’t quite wrap his foot around it enough and it goes a bit wide and abit over.
If you’ll excuse a brief non-Nations interlude, get a load of THIS!
Just WOW! 😱😱😱
— Caltex Socceroos (@Socceroos) November 17, 2018
Maty Ryan pulls of an incredible save.
🎥: @FoxFootball #GoSocceroos #AUSvKOR pic.twitter.com/SXngFBWpMs
Everybody loves the Nations League, it seems. “Far better than following the richest clubs get even richer in the Champions League,” writes Andrew Benson. “The more national teams play, the better they gel, you’d hope, which would be good for their manager, the nations and the fans, I’d have thought. There were doubts at the outset from those that know, have they been dispelled?”
It’s been relatively quiet in Milan. Bruma tried to make something happen for Portugal with a left-footed shot after a run into the box, but Italy’s answer to the Easter Island statues Chiellini blocks. On the touchline, Fernando Santos puts his hands to his face like a parent who’s just been told their teenager has set the science lab on fire.
Updated
GOAL! Albania 0-1 Scotland (Fraser 14)
Brilliance from the Bournemouth winger. Christie wins the ball in midfield, Fraser collects outside the box on the right, he tricks then drops the shoulder as he powers into the box, opens up his body and curls a perfect right-footed finish into the bottom corner. Superb stuff.
Updated
Booking for Albania, as Manaj goes in very high on Fraser. He tries to get away with his misdemeanour by throwing himself to the floor like he’s in the most flamboyant melodrama, but the referee isn’t having any of it.
Albania go close: Memushaj gets the ball deep on the left and booms a cross over, Uzuni goes up for it but doesn’t quite get a header, and the ball skips just past the far post.
Incidentally, after making that save just now Patricio got a boot in the face from his own colleague, Rui Fonte. Relax though Wolves fans - he’s fine.
Scotland have a corner from the right, but Callum Paterson - today playing at right-back, whereas with Cardiff he’s been up top - rises for the header, but doesn’t get to it and fouls the keeper to boot.
Big chance for Italy! Insigne is given too much space outside the box and launches a shot towards goal, which Rui Patricio saves but can only parry, straight to Ciro Immobile, but the Lazio striker hoofs the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box. Big, big, big chance.
At the Giuseppe Meazza, Italy have shot out of the traps like a hungry dog chasing after a hare. A reminder that Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t playing for Portugal due to the...erm...agreement that he won’t play international football until next year.
Scotland attack early on, but Fraser - as Bryon Butler would say, the squat little man - can’t get the ball under control on the left side of the area.
The teams are out. A slightly...erm...discordant version of ‘Flower of Scotland’ is sung in Shkoder. In Milan, Leo Bonucci bellows the Italian anthem.
A quick summary of what’s gone down today already in this most glorious of Nations Leagues.
A little pre-match reading on Scottish football...
Albania v Scotland team news
Albania
Berisha, Veseli, Xhimshiti, Mavraj, Binaku, Memushaj, Xhaka, Kace, Uzuni, Manaj, Grezda Subs to follow...
Scotland
Allan McGregor, Patterson, Robertson, Bates, McKenna, Callum McGregor, Forrest, Armstrong, Fletcher, Christie, Fraser Subs: Bain, McDonald, Hendry, Shinnie, MacKay-Steven, McTominay, Phillips, McBurnie, Russell
Italy v Portugal team news
Italy
Donnarumma; Florenzi, Bonucci, Chiellini, Biraghi; Barella, Jorginho, Verratti; Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne Subs: Sirigu, Cragno, De Sciglio, Gagliardini, Pellegrini, Lasagna, Berardi, Acerbi, Rugani, Politano, Emerson Palmieri, Grifo.
Portugal
Rui Patricio; Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Fonte, Mario Rui; Pizzi, William Carvalho, Ruben Neves; Bruma, Andre Silva, Bernardo Silva Subs: Beto, Luis Neto, Raphael Guerreiro, Renato Sanches, Eder, Joao Mario, Danilo, Rafa Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Goncalo Guedes, Cedric.
Preamble
As it turns out, this Nations League business has been pretty good. Sport tends to be a fairly conservative business, broadly speaking happy with how things have always been done because, well, that’s how they have always been done. Maybe new ideas are treated with suspicion because we find comfort in the familiarity of what we all fell in love with - if what we fell in love with needs changing, what does that say about us?
It hasn’t really taken much innovation. Sure, the rules and permutations of the Nations League are often pretty head-scratching, but ultimately what Uefa has done is tell us that these games, the international fixtures filling the time when there have not been qualifiers, are competitive, and hey Mr Presto, people start caring about them. There’s probably a deep, psychological reason for all of this, but let’s not pull at that thread too much now.
So, to this evening. You want some permutations? We’ll give you some permutations, pal.
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Albania v Scotland Albania are, in so many words, toast. They have to win this one by four clear goals to stand any chance of promotion from Group 1 of League C. Scotland, on the other hand, can set themselves up for promotion by avoiding defeat - do that, and a win over Israel at Hampden on Tuesday will see them go up. They do need to beat the Israelis though: anything else will have them second.
- Italy v Portugal Portugal only require a draw to top Group A3 and seal their place in the finals. A win would provide a flourish. Even if they lose, they have a chance to redeem themselves when they face Poland at home on Tuesday. Italy, in short, need to start praying.
All clear? Actually it’s all reasonably simple. Settle in for some piping hot Saturday night footer.
The results so far...
Thursday 15 November
League A, Group 2: Belgium 2-0 Iceland
A4: Croatia 3-2 Spain
B3: Austria 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
C2: Hungary 2-0 Estonia, Greece 1-0 Finland
D1: Kazakhstan 1-1 Latvia, Andorra 1-1 Georgia
D2: Luxembourg 0-2 Belarus, San Marino 0-1 Moldova
Friday 16 November
League A, Group 1: Netherlands 2-0 France
B1: Slovakia 4-1 Ukraine
B4: Wales 1-2 Denmark
C3: Cyprus 1-1 Bulgaria, Slovenia 1-1 Norway
D4: Gibraltar 2-6 Armenia, Liechtenstein 0-2 FYR Macedonia
Saturday 17 November
League A, Group 3: Italy 0-0 Portugal
B2: Turkey 0-1 Sweden
C1: Albania 0-4 Scotland
C4: Serbia 2-1 Montenegro, Romania 3-0 Lithuania
D3: Azerbaijan 2-0 Faroe Islands, Malta 0-5 Kosovo
Sunday 18 November
League A, Group 2: Switzerland 5-2 Belgium
A4: England 2-1 Croatia
B3: Northern Ireland 1-2 Austria
C2: Hungary 2-0 Finland, Greece 0-1 Estonia
D2: San Marino 0-2 Belarus, Moldova 1-1 Luxembourg
Monday 19 November
League A, Group 1: Germany 2-2 Netherlands
B1: Czech Republic 1-0 Slovakia
B4: Denmark 0-0 Republic of Ireland
C3: Cyprus 0-2 Norway, Bulgaria 1-1 Slovenia
D1: Georgia 2-1 Kazakhstan, Andorra 0-0 Latvia
D4: FYR Macedonia 4-0 Gibraltar, Liechtenstein 2-2 Armenia
Tuesday 20 November
League A, Group 3: Portugal 1-1 Poland
B2: Sweden 2-0 Russia
C1: Scotland 3-2 Israel
C4: Serbia 4-1 Lithuania, Montenegro 0-1 Romania
D3: Malta 1-1 Faroe Islands, Kosovo 4-0 Azerbaijan
Ups and downs so far
League A
Finals: Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, England
Relegated: Germany, Iceland, Poland, Croatia
League B
Promoted: Ukraine, Sweden, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Denmark
Relegated: Slovakia, Turkey, N Ireland, Rep of Ireland
League C
Promoted: Scotland, Finland, Norway, Serbia
Relegated: Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Cyprus
League D
Promoted: Georgia, Belarus, Kosovo, Macedonia
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