LIVE “ ALBANIA v WALES “ SHOCK DEFEAT

Full-time

“ ALBANIA 1 WALES 0 “.


Wales take on Albania in a friendly tonight in Elbasan, with kick off at 7pm.

The match is live on Sky Sports Football and S4C.

Chris Gunter gets his record-breaking 93rd cap.

The two debutants starting the match are Anderlecht defender James Lawrence and Swansea’s winger Daniel James.

Going into the match, Albania lost 4-0 at home to Scotland and Wales lost 2-1 at home to Denmark.

WALES STARTING 11

Danny Ward
Connor Roberts
James Lawrence
Tom Lockyer
Chris Gunter
Andy King
Joe Allen
David Brooks
Harry Wilson
Daniel James
Sam Vokes

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Wales play for the final time in 2018 tonight as they face Albania in a friendly at Elbasan Arena.

Wales are unbeaten in their two previous meetings with Albania, beating them 2-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away in qualifying for EURO 1996.



Albania have won just one of their last nine friendly matches (D2 L6), beating Turkey 3-2 in November 2017.


Wales have won just one of their last 11 friendly matches (D3 L7), beating China 6-0 in March.



Wales have lost three of their last four games in all competitions (W1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (W6 D7 L3).


Wales have won three of their last five away games in all competitions (L2), as many as they had in their previous 13 (W3 D5 L5).


Current Wales manager Ryan Giggs scored in Wales’ only previous victory over Albania – in a 2-0 win in September 1994.



Gareth Bale has scored five and assisted two of Wales’ 13 total goals under manager Ryan Giggs.

Close for Wales before the break

Sam Vokes gets on the end of a lovely Wales move but can only find hosts’ goalkeeper Berisha from point blank range.

That’s about as close as Wales have come.

The one added minute is all we’ve got at the end of a rather forgettable first half of football in Elbasan.

Albania 0-0 Wales.

H/T 0-0


It’s was a case of Wales trying to play along the deck with runners from out wide, only to find a black and red barricade on the Albanian 18-yard line each time they’ve come forward. Wilson and Brooks have threatened to break through, while Vokes has squandered the game’s two best chances.

Albania have also handed out a few rather rough challenges, one of which on Brooks that Ryan Giggs did not appear happy with.

Second-half underway

Close from a set piece

An early corner for Wales in the second half and Vokes thinks he’s got the ball over the line - but Berisha holds on and keeps out. Just.

Still 0-0

1-0 Albania

1-0 Albania

KEY EVENT
1-0 Albania

Penalty Albania.

Harry Wilson the culprit with a pull down on Xhaka - who went down a little easily.

The penalty goes in. 1-0 Albania.

The home fans are loving this and Wales look a little rattled as they try to find a route back into the game.

Albania had hardly had a chance before the penalty. Bale, as he usually does, will try to drag them back in.

"Soft" penalty, but Albania looking the more lively at the moment. Bale & Rambo now on but we are not really troubling them. Would like to say they've got 10 behind the ball, but not really. They are breaking quickly and are now a right handful!

This is poor

Even though it is a friendly we should be putting 3/4 on these with the players on the pitch

All the possession is with Wales now, but Albania’s defence keep finding a way to snuff out the visitors.

Frustration grows, as the hosts make a change.

Should have been 2 then. What a miss.

Blatant Albania pass back in the 6 yard box. The ref waves play on. What farce.

Feels and looks like friendly no urgency lots missed passes and dodgy ref!

Big lesson for the youngsters & manager to learn today. Albania far from world beaters but made us look less than ordinary.

FULL TIME: Albania 1-0 Wales

Can referees be drug tested?

My god, that is embarassing!!

Big lesson for the youngsters & manager to learn today. Albania far from world beaters but made us look less than ordinary.

Early days nothing to gain from this game case of bedding in youngsters and give them experience in non competitive game

Very poor game of football with a dodgy referee.

Very frustrating crossing from us specially in the second half. No quality crossing coming in, very poor in that area.

That referee should not be allowed to referee in an international again.

Wales looked disinterested at best, even after going 1 nil down.

Good result keeping the mighty Albania to just one goal.

No shape from wales all evening p.ss poor display giggs should be screaming more negatives than positive even though i hate to say it but how many would england put past albania avd we can' t put 1 goal shocking.

12 men vs 11

We may have had a young team but there is no excuse for that loss.

We started with 7 current or former premier league players the rest mostly championship or foreign league and ended the game with Bale and Ramsey on the pitch for the last half hour.

They had ? A guy from Rangers !

Even Scotland beat them 4-0 away last time out.

That is a very poor result whatever way you look at it

Giggs is an awful manager. Just go ASAP

Giggs is an awful manager. Just go ASAP

Totally agree I was against him even getting the job

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Giggs is an awful manager. Just go ASAP

Based on what? Fact as to blood youngsters against experienced teams like ire, Spain, Denmark!
Getting them to play in a new way? Talk about over reaction but then again yours is same reaction to most things