A win in Helsinki against Finland could be almost an achievable goal for Albania. Maran would secure first place, but with the calculations done, perhaps the coach can play for a point on the road, given that the Nordics and the Belarusians drew two days ago.
Who would have thought that on the eve of the third match out of six, Albania would be one step away from achieving the objective of winning the group in the Nations League. And yet, here we are, ready to secure first place, if we manage to triumph in Finland. Before clarifying the balance of power in the direct clash, the only comparison that can be made is that Albania defeated Belarus in Tirana, which Finland could not do in Helsinki. Since it is difficult for anyone to make a mistake with San Marino, it is precisely this two-point difference that is currently making the difference, but with a victory the gap would go to 5 and the main rival would then be Goncharenko's Belarus, which meanwhile awaits the red and blacks in Minsk.
5 points is a sufficient advantage to allow for another loss in the last two matches and practically Maran would have an achieved objective, just to manage it, but if Finland appears very strong in Helsinki, then the Rossoneri can be content with a point there, making the calculations with the advantage that in the return match we expect them in Tirana. The danger here actually appears in another territory, that of Belarus, where Albania will be a visitor and the advantage of the first match, must be defended with claws to rank at the top of Group C1 and to continue following the short path to qualify for Euro 2028.
GROUP SCENARIOS
Albania starts this match from the first place of Group 1 of League C, with 6 points accumulated after two matches. Finland is second with 4 points, while Belarus has 1 point and San Marino has not yet accumulated any points. This makes today's match particularly important, as the two teams that currently lead the group face each other on the field. In a possible scenario, Albania can mathematically secure the first place in the coming days. For this, the Rossoneri must win today against Finland and then against San Marino, while the Belarus-Finland match, scheduled for October 6, must end in a draw.
If this combination of results is achieved, Albania would reach 12 points and create a gap that could not be overturned by their rivals in the remaining matches. But for now, all attention is on Helsinki and the 90 minutes that start today at 15:00.
