Albania closes its Nations League group adventure with a victory. The Red and Blacks triumphed 0-2 against Belarus in the match held at the “Illovszky Rudolf” stadium in Budapest, securing first place and promotion to League B for the next edition.
The Red and Blacks settled the match with one goal in each half. It was Rey Manaj who broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. The Albanian striker took advantage of the opposing defender’s slip and, inside the box, with a beautiful left-footed strike, sent the ball into the net for a 0-1 lead.
The first half also ended with that score, while in the 57th minute Albania found the clinching goal. This time the protagonist was Elseid Hysaj, who after a move started by Rey Manaj struck with his left foot. The ball was deflected by the Belarusian defense and ended up in the net, taking the score to 0-2.
In the 63rd minute, the Red and Blacks appealed for a penalty after Laçi was fouled by the opposing goalkeeper. The incident was reviewed by VAR for several minutes, but the referee decided not to award a penalty, as in the preceding phase Rey Manaj had been found offside.
The score remained unchanged until the final whistle. Albania picks up another three points and closes the group at the top of the standings, securing promotion to League B of the Nations League. This success is even more significant for the Red and Blacks, as first place gives them an additional opportunity to aim for qualification for the 2028 European Championship, through the play-off route, alongside the regular qualifiers.
In the other group match, Finland recorded a resounding 7-2 win over San Marino, but this was not enough to change the standings. The Finns finished with 10 points in third place, the same as Belarus, which retained second place thanks to better head-to-head results.
EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS DRAW
Albania has mathematically secured a place in Pot 3 for the draw for the UEFA EURO 2028 qualifiers. The 0–2 victory over Belarus in the final match of Group C1 in the Nations League sealed first place in the group and promotion to League B for the Red and Blacks
