Match report
Do we need 24 teams in this competition? Well, maybe not. Except, how can we even contemplate fewer after watching the Albanians go at it. They now have a reasonable chance of making the knockouts - they need results to go for them, and all look possible. Sweden and Ireland fail to beat Belgium and Italy, and then either Czech Republic and Turkey draw, or Germany cane Northern Ireland. Either way, they’ve made a major contribution to this tournament.
Anyhow, thanks all for your company and comments - night night.
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FULL-TIME: ALBANIA 1-0 ROMANIA
ALBANIA HAVE THEIR FIRST WIN IN TOURNAMENT FOOTBALL! WHAT A PERFORMANCE THAT WAS! THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR THE SECOND PHASE - ROMANIA ARE OFF HAME!
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90+5 min Abrashi chases down the goalline and overruns the ball but slides in heroically, forcing a corner! That will be it!
90+4 min Romania have created almost nothing these last ten minutes; Albania have prevented them creating almost nothing these last ten minutes. Stanciue finds space outside the box, smashes a shot over, and this is basically done!
90+3 min Torja shoves Lila to the ground, and is booked. The ref somehow avoids awarding a free-kick, but it makes no odds - Albania clear when the ball comes in, AND THEY’RE NEARLY THERE!
90+2 min France and Switzerland have drawn 0-0. Memushaj, who has been superb, flicks a ball around the corner, putting Roshi in, but draws the foul at the same time. More time elapses, and the ball goes towards Cana at the far post - he hads into the keeper’s arms.
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90+1 min Memushaj and Roshi do very well to win a corner down the left, then equally well to spend 30 seconds not taking it.
90 min One of the Albanians is down, clutching his head and face, so there’s a short break while he pretends to recover. There’ll be a minimum additional five minutes of play.
89 min But Andone throws himself at a short ball, knocking Mavraj out of the road - only for Ajeti, who has been superb, to block tackle a clearance. That’s an actual block tackle, not one of these.
88 min Lyon is about to witness the mother, father, any other of all parties.
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87 min Monstrous effort from Albania to win another corner, this time from right, and from it comes another free header - Hysaj guides it wide from 10 yards.
86 min Albania break, and Roshi’s fresh legs pace downfield, winning a corner - he exhorts the fans to even greater efforts, then Mavraj wins the header at the near post, ruffling the side-netting and causing some to celebrate the clinching goal.
84 min Again, Torje breaks with conviction, attacking the Albanian box - so Ajeti kncks him over from behind. Free-kick, 30 yards out, just left of centre, and Memushaj is booked for encroachment before Torje’s kick hits the wall.
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83 min Albania make their final change, Cana on for Basha.
81 min Stanciu weaves past Basha 40 yards out and accelerates towards goal, but as he shoots his left foot gives way and the ball flies miles over the top. The Albanian fans are absolutely having it.
79 min Albania are sitting in now, and Romania’s changes have made a differenc, or, put another way, Iordanescu got his team wrong. No, you tell him.
78 min Change for Albania: Roshi replaces Lenjani.
76 min That’s more like it from Romania, a lively touch from Torje finding Sanmartean, who flicks himself, finding Andone. From just inside the box, he absolutely rousts a drive that clips the bar and shoots over the top. Great move, great effort.
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75 min France-Switzerland is still 0-0 and Payet has just hit the bar - but they don’t need to start playing for another 14 minutes.
74 min Albania gives it away just outside their box and Romania fly forwards, but Ajeti does superbly to marshall Stanciu away from goal before diving in and rescuing possession.
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72 min Romania break the Albanian line down the right, and just as Torje crosses, up goes the flag. and up goes Balaj’s thumb, thanking the linesman for his benevolence - for that was on, and he knew it.
71 min Albania win a throw on the right, hurled at Balaj to chest down for Memushaj to shoot. He doesn’t trouble Tatarusanu, but really, Romania had no business allowing that to develop.
70 min Romania have 20 minutes to save themselves. They really do not look like so doing.
68 min Final change for Romania: Andone replaces “Big” Popa.
66 min Lovely from Sanmartean, who rides one tackle then another, taking care to hurtle over it and win a free-kick, 30 yards out, left of centre. He takes it himself, looking to go round the far side of the wall, instead hitting his team-mate. Not that it made much difference - it was not going to trouble Berisha.
65 min Sanmartean fouls Lenjani for no reason, and Albania have another free-kick close to the corner flag, this time on the left. But by the time it comes over, the ref’s spotted a foul, and Romania start again.
63 min Albania haven’t shown much in attack this last bit, but then the outstanding Memushaj wriggles between two spaces just outside the right corner of the box, swinging though a snap=shot that forces Berisha to beat away.
61 min Some conviction from Romania, Sanmartean finding Torje who spreads wide to the right. Sapunaru then crosses, winning a corner which comes to nothing.
60 min When did attacking players become known as “progressive”? The first usage I can recall is Alex Ferguson talking about Kleberson. Surely that should’ve been an end to it?
59 min Lila jumps and Matel nails him with the little leg nudge that sends him toppling. No one seems to mind too much, though it looks a right sair yin.
59 min Change for Albania: “the goalscorer Sadiku” departs; Balaj replaces him.
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58 min Joy we’ll never know.
Sadiku's sixth goal for #ALB - and surely his most memorable.#EURO2016 #ROUALB pic.twitter.com/02vR5SRIqE
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) June 19, 2016
57 min Torje replaces Alibec, who departs on a stretcher, gesticulating.
55 min Alibec and Basha chases a loose ball and both leap, Alibec landing on his left foot which gives way in ominous fashion. He looks in absolutely oodles of pain, while being desperate to get in with the game.
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54 min But Memushaj’s crosses is overhit, missing the men clustered at the back post.
53 min Albania are running like billy-o here, and Abrashi chases Matel right into the corner, tempting him to give away a free-kick close to the flag. It’s getting busy in the box.
52 min “Dion Dublin said at half-time that ‘trust is the biggest word in football’,” emails the aptly-named David English. “I think there are bigger words, like ‘offside’, ‘referee’, ‘defence’, and ‘Ledian Memushaj’.”
I’m not going to make the obvious gag here. You’re welcome.
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50 min Romania have shown a little more gumption these last few minutes, but then they started the first half reasonably too, and there’s Memushaj, intercepting a stray pass and charging into the Romania half - it’s two-on-two! But the defenders are well positioned, so that when he squares to Sadiku, who is not well furnished with pace, he has to come back insdie and the chance goes.
49 min “’There shall be an extra two minutes’? You have been listening to too much LVG!” chides Tony Waters.
Me and him, bringing sexy back.
49 min Meanwhile, JR from Illinois emails: “Remember that time about 25 minutes ago when Lenjani had that astounding miss? Well I hope this information won’t ruin it for you but our announcer here in the U.S. has stated that the flag did belatedly go up ruling Lenjani offside.”
He’s making it up.
48 min That half-time change - it was indeed Prepelita who was hooked, with Sanmartean replacing him.
46 min Immediately, Albania win a corner down the right, clipped to the near post where Mavraj power-glances just over the top.
46 min And off we go. Romania have made one change - I think Prepelita has gone off.
The players are back with us. The Romanians are still alive.
So, what do Albania need to qualify? Well, if neither Ireland nor Sweden get three points - of which there’s a good chance - if Germany wallop Northern Ireland, or Turkey and the Czech Republic draw, that should do it.
Half-time entertainment:
How much did Sadiku enjoy the #ALB goal? This much...#EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/HUCY7wQf4T
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@UEFAEURO) June 19, 2016
Tirana tonight pic.twitter.com/TXkTdUHCOL
— Alastair Campbell (@campbellclaret) June 19, 2016
Half-time: Albania 1-0 Romania
Again, Albania have been excellent. Romania have been abject.
46+2 min Maybe if Tatarusanu tells Iordanescu to look one way, then runs the other, he might escape the hiding that’s in the post.
45 min There shall be two additional minutes.
44 min This is really superbly done by Albania, Lila crossing towards the back post where Sadiku pulls of Chiriches, who follows him. And, for no reason whatsoever, Tataratsanu does too, meaning that any connection - and there follows a good one, Sadiku hanging in the air, leaning away from goal - will leave him stranded. Albania go absolutely wild, and they’ve every right to go wild.
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GOAL! Albania 1-0 Romania (Sadiku 43)
ALBANIA HAVE THEIR FIRST GOAL AT A MAJOR TOURNAMENT! AND DON’T THEY DESERVE IT!
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41 min This has been lamentable from Romania, and again they cede possession in midfield, where Memushaj, who’s playing well, can’t control Agolli’s ball as it drops. It wasn’t an easy skill - killing a ball at shin-height and transferring it into stride at the same time - but had he managed it, he was away.
39 min Don’t believe me? Simply inspect his sideboards, here.
37 min Romania are going to absolutely get it at half-time. Anghel Iordanescu is not a man with whom it pays to trifle.
35 min Super stuff from Albania, Memushaj taking a quick throw from Agolli and nashing into the box from the right, absolutely murdering Prepelita on the outside with a delicious turn. then, he might look across goal where two men wait - admittedly shepherded by two defenders - but instead forces a shot towards the near post, where Tatrusanu saves.
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33 min A choice Romanian cut.
31 min Sadiku pulls off left and his trickery earns Albania a throw in, deep in the Romania half. Agolli chucks it straight to Sapunaru, and Romania clear.
29 min Despite the miss - did I mention, Albania missed an incredible opportunity? - they are on top at the moment. Romania can’t hold onto possession at all.
28 min “I was at the 1989 game in your clip,” emails Justin Horton. “What I mostly remember is that due to the bar at the top of the fencing, I had the choice between watching disembodied heads above it, or disembodied legs chasing the ball below it. Happy days, not.”
Yes, that was the first England game after Hillsbrough, if memory serves. What a total mess the old Wembley is; what a shame they couldn’t do a better job of building the new one.
26 min Lila chases a long ball which is fielded by Tatarusanu, whom he petulantly shoves. Immediately, history is replayed and Lenjani slots his cross home, putting Albania in front.
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25 min What a miss that was!
23 min What a magnificent, spectacular, outstanding, classic miss! Albania sweep forwards, Agolli finding Memushaj with a lovely ball. He has options left and right and picks the latter, finding Lila, whose cross is perfect, picking out Lenjani at the back post. The keeper is more or less down, but from five yards he elects to slide, wellying his effort well over the bar. Some unkind folk might consider that karmic retribution for a right-winder wearing number 3 - and a left-winger, Lila, wearing 2.
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22 min Hysaj rattles through Sapunaru, winning the ball then cleaning him out with his trailing leg. To his chagrin, there follows a free-kick wide on the right, which Stanciu wastes.
21 min I really don’t grasp why Romania feel they need two holding midfielders for this game. Similarly, I had no idea why Deschamps felt that he needed the same against Albania last week. Sure, they make it physical, but the key is to outpass them, not outfight them.
20 min Basha strides through midfield and has options both left and right, so drags a useless shot straight at Tatarusanu.
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19 min Given how badly they need to win, Romania are not playing with a great deal of intensity or abandon.
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18 min Elsewhere in Group A, Paul Pogba has nearly scored thrice, hitting the bar twice.
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15 min Not much going on so far - thus a goal from my childhood scored against Albania by the immaculate Peter Beardsley.
13 min “Can’t believe you’ve not mentioned Norman Wisdom,” tweets Manc in Sofia. Wisdom’s were the only films allowed to be shown in Albania during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, so here we go.
12 min Romania conceded just two goals in qualifying - but then, Albania ought to have scored against France, and what a defence they have.
10 min “I’d go with Eurovision-style voting,” says the mild mannered Marie Meyer. Talking of which, this is probably my favourite ever winning song. TUNE!
8 min Romania turn it up when play restarts, and Hysaj heads away weakly, his clearance falling onto the laces of Sadiku, who swivels to volley hard - Berisha punches clear well.
6 min Basha announces his presence, flying through the air to absolutely De Jong Hoban. He gets a yellow card when really that might have been a red - has Graham Poll returned from retirement?
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5 min Romania attack down the left, and Hoban slides forward to try a curler into the far bottom corner. Berisha is paying attention, but only just - he shovels a parry that’s not far from Stanciu, following up, before diving on the loose ball.
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3 min First shot on goal of the night - Alibec lays back to Stanciu, and from 25 yards he slams with his laces just over the top.
3 min The Romanian fans are absolutely going for it. That said, I’m not sold on the merits of yellow as a colour for a football kit - it’s a bit insipid, in mine. And no, I’d not tell that to the sun.
1 min The ball does some bouncing around in centrefield. Good for it.
1 min Romania get us underway.
I’m not going to lie, we are not in for a goalfest. But then we haven’t had that all tournament, and we’ve seen hardly any boring games, so.
“Loving the extra matches,” tweets Paul, “though 3rd place qual. criteria needs work. Why are they playing two at the same time on a Sunday?”
To prevent collusion in the final round of games.
Time for the anthems. Might a game be about to start on time?
When I were a lad, eee, me and me mates used to play a game called Not Kosher. The rules were: everyone gets on the bed, which is Kosher. Last one left on the bed wins, everyone removed therefrom is not Kosher.
To be clear, this predates the Royal Rumble.
How else might you split teams in the event of a tie? How about breath-holding? Or slapsies?
More permutation news:
If Switzerland lose 2-1, and Romania win 1-0, the second place is down to the fair play rule, means number of bookings
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) June 19, 2016
Makes perfect sense.
Someone’s put Seven Nation army on the PA. What a ruse! Inspired!
Also for your delectation:
Taking of those Albanian fans, they’re already at it tonight, in and bouncing. Which makes one wonder whether English fans are too preoccupied with the admittedly preoccupying preoccupations of slaking thirst and looking cool. Because they’d still be in the pub wearing different clothes and all that.
So, let’s hear your thoughts: did Uefa get it right - presumably for the wrong reasons - in expanding the competition and giving us loads more lovely football? Or is it ridiculous playing 36 games to eliminate only eight teams?
One team remain unchanged: the Albanian supporters, an undoubted star of the group stages.
So, one change for Albania: Basha replaces the suspended Kekeli. Romania, meanwhile, replace Rat with Matel, Pintilli with Hoban, Chipciu with Popa and Keseru with Alibec.
Teams; the
Albania (4-3-3): Berisha; Hysaj, Ajeti, Mavraj, Agolli; Basha, Abrashi, Memushaj; Lenjani, Sadiku, Lila.
Romania (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu; Sapunaru, Grigore, Chiriches, Matel; Prepelita, Hoban; Popa, Stanciu, Stancu; Alibec.
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Preamble
Slow, slow, quick; after two rounds of games, here begins the crucial third round; over the next four nights, we shall discover which teams progress to the knockout stages. “Almost all of them!” I hear you holler and yes, that is so. But it’s also so that no team is yet eliminated, which is going to make for one hell of a bagarre. Starting right here.
So, any win for Romania will probably be enough - and if France beat Switzerland, they might qualify in second place. Albania, meanwhile, are also not out of things, but need a thumping win followed by incompetence elsewhere.
It’s time to see who’s got what.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
Daniel will be here soon enough. Until then, read how the Albania coach, Gianni De Biasi, is keeping himself upbeat by dangling a carrot full of incentives in front of his squad:
It may have been a wilful attempt to keep expectations at rock bottom but pre-tournament discussion in Albania centred for the most part on the nation’s happiness to have reached their first tournament. “A dream,” said the manager, Gianni De Biasi, on the eve of their opening game, intimating that the real achievement was just getting to France. Now they are two games in, the feeling must be some way different.
Before an eminently winnable group closer against Romania a sense of what might have been has crept in. The Switzerland match, where they fell behind early on but created numerous chances, slipped away on account of the captain Lorik Cana’s entirely avoidable sending off in the first half. Against France they defended brilliantly for 89 minutes before breaking at the death, conceding twice for a largely undeserved 2-0 defeat.
