Poland have won four of their last five matches

In the UEFA World Cup qualification playoffs semifinals on March 26, 2026, the national teams of Poland and Albania will face off. The visitors will try to put up a fight in Warsaw.

Poland have consistently qualified for previous tournaments, but haven’t shined there for some time—for instance, they failed to reach the playoffs at Euro 2024. In the Nations League, they finished last in their group, even behind Scotland. Improvement began in last year’s qualifiers: the team finished second behind the Netherlands, with whom they twice drew.

Albania have looked decent under Sylvinho. They played at the last Euros, securing a draw with Croatia and putting up a fight against Spain and Italy. Then came disappointment in the Nations League, where they finished last in a tightly contested group. Most importantly, however, they won the battle for second place in qualifying, overtaking their main rival, Serbia—the favorite, England, was out of reach by default.

Lewandowski and company, while averaging 1.7 goals scored per game, concede 0.7. Sylvinho’s side concede the same amount but score slightly less—1.2 goals per game.

Previous Matches: Poland vs Albania

Poland had won eight matches in a row. However, in the most recent meeting in 2023, they lost 0-2 away.

The hosts will be clear favorites. But in such important matches, it’s reasonable to consider the pragmatic “under 2.5 goals” bet (odds – 1.67).

Poland vs Albania: Key Statistics and Trends
Poland have won four of their last five matches
50% of Poland’s matches end with goals from both teams, with an average total of 2.4 goals per match
Albania have won five of their last six games
20% of Albania’s matches end with goals from both sides, with an average total of 1.9 goals per match
Poland vs Albania: Probable Starting Lineups
Poland are expected to play a 1-3-6-1 formation (probable lineup): Dragowski – Kiwior, Kedziora, Wisniewski – Skuras, Zalewski, Kaminski, Zielinski, Slisz, Grosicki – Lewandowski. Skorupski and Frankowski are injured.

Albania are likely to play a 1-4-5-1 formation (probable lineup): Strakosha – Ajeti, Djimsiti, Ismajli, Hysaj – Asllani, Ramadani, Hoxha, Laci, Bajrami – Uzuni. Berisha, Manaj, and Daku are in the infirmary.