EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Elbasan Arena - Elbasan Monday 7 September 2015 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Albania Group I - Matchday -5 Portugal Last updated 12/07/2021 15:46CET Official Partners of UEFA EURO 2020 Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Squad list 4 Head coach 6 Match officials 7 Competition facts 8 Match-by-match lineups 9 Team facts 11 Legend 13 1 Albania - Portugal Monday 7 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Previous meetings Head to Head 2016 UEFA European Championship Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached 07/09/2014 QR (GS) Portugal - Albania 0-1 Aveiro Balaj 52 FIFA World Cup Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached Bogdani 29; Hugo 06/06/2009 QR (GS) Albania - Portugal 1-2 Tirana Almeida 28, Bruno Alves 90+2 15/10/2008 QR (GS) Portugal - Albania 0-0 Braga FIFA World Cup Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached João Pinto 14, Luís 07/06/1997 QR (GS) Portugal - Albania 2-0 Porto Figo 70 Luís Figo 11, Hélder 09/10/1996 QR (GS) Albania - Portugal 0-3 Tirana 77, Rui Costa 89 Final Qualifying Total tournament Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO Albania - - - - 1 1 0 0 - - - - 1 1 0 0 1 0 Portugal 1 0 0 1 - - - - - - - - 1 0 0 1 0 1 FIFA* Albania 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 1 - - - - 4 0 1 3 1 7 Portugal 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 - - - - 4 3 1 0 7 1 Friendlies Albania - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 0 0 1 3 5 Portugal - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 0 0 5 3 Total Albania 2 0 0 2 3 1 1 1 - - - - 6 1 1 4 5 12 Portugal 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 0 - - - - 6 4 1 1 12 5 * FIFA World Cup/FIFA Confederations Cup 2 Albania - Portugal Monday 7 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Match background Albania will look to prove that their opening-day success in Portugal was no one-off as the sides meet again in UEFA EURO 2016 Group I; a home win would take Albania above the visitors. • Tiago Mendes is suspended following his red card against Armenia in June. The following players are a booking away from a ban: Ansi Agolli, Burim Kukeli and Taulant Xhaka. Previous meetings • Albania pulled off the first major shock of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying when they won 1-0 in Portugal in their opening Group I game, Bekim Balaj volleying the crucial goal. • The countries have now met six times with Albania's record W1 D1 L4 (W0 D0 L2 in Albania; W1 D1 L2 in Portugal). Form guide • Albania are unbeaten in two Group I home games (W1 D1), and also beat France in a friendly at the Elbasan Arena, their temporary home while the Qemal Stafa Stadium is undergoes refurbishment. • Portugal have won their last five away qualifiers, and are unbeaten in six qualifying games on the road (W5 D1), scoring 16 goals in the process. Trivia and links • The nations have met in ten men's UEFA age-group competition games, with Albania's record in those matches W1 D2 L7; their respective Under-21 teams will come together the day after this Group I game in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship game. • Portuguese and Albanian clubs have met in four UEFA competition games: the Portuguese teams' record is W3 D1 L0 (W2 D0 L0 at home – W1 D1 L0 in Albania) with eight goals scored and none conceded. 3 Albania - Portugal Monday 7 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Squad list Albania Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Orges Shehi 25/09/1977 37 Skënderbeu - 0 0 0 0 6 - - Alban Hoxha 23/11/1987 27 Partizani - 0 0 0 0 - - - Etrit Berisha 10/03/1989 26 Lazio - 5 0 0 0 26 - Defenders - Ansi Agolli 11/10/1982 32 Qarabağ * 5 0 0 0 55 2 - Andi Lila 12/02/1986 29 Giannina - 3 0 0 0 53 - - Arlind Ajeti 25/09/1993 21 Basel - 1 0 0 0 4 - - Berat Djimsiti 19/02/1993 22 Zürich - 1 0 0 0 1 - - Amir Rrahmani 24/02/1994 21 Split - 0 0 0 0 1 - - Naser Aliji 27/12/1993 21 Vaduz - 0 0 0 0 1 - Midfielders - Lorik Cana 27/07/1983 32 Nantes - 5 0 0 0 84 1 - Migjen Basha 05/01/1987 28 Luzern - 1 0 0 0 10 2 - Odise Roshi 22/05/1991 24 Rijeka - 3 0 0 0 24 1 - Taulant Xhaka 28/03/1991 24 Basel * 5 0 0 0 5 - - Amir Abrashi 27/03/1990 25 Freiburg - 5 0 0 0 14 - - Burim Kukeli 16/01/1984 31 Zürich * 5 0 0 0 11 - - Ermir Lenjani 05/08/1989 26 Nantes - 5 1 0 0 11 1 - Ergys Kaçe 08/07/1993 22 PAOK - 1 0 0 0 12 2 - Ledian Memushaj 17/12/1986 28 Pescara - 1 0 0 0 9 - Forwards - Hamdi Salihi 19/01/1984 31 Skënderbeu - 1 0 0 0 50 11 - Shkelzen Gashi 15/07/1988 27 Basel - 2 1 0 0 7 1 - Bekim Balaj 11/01/1991 24 Rijeka - 3 1 0 0 10 1 İstanbul - Sokol Çikalleshi 27/07/1990 25 - 4 0 0 0 10 - Başakşehir - Armando Sadiku 27/05/1991 24 Zürich - 1 0 0 0 13 1 Coach - Giovanni de Biasi 16/06/1956 59 - 5 0 0 0 31 - 4 Albania - Portugal Monday 7 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Portugal Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Beto 01/05/1982 33 Sevilla - 0 0 0 0 11 - - Rui Patrício 15/02/1988 27 Sporting CP - 5 0 0 0 38 - - Anthony Lopes 01/10/1990 24 Lyon - 0 0 0 0 1 - Defenders - Ricardo Carvalho 18/05/1978 37 Monaco - 4 1 0 0 81 6 - Eliseu 01/10/1983 31 Benfica - 3 0 0 0 10 1 - Pepe 26/02/1983 32 Real Madrid - 3 0 0 0 66 3 - José Fonte 22/12/1983 31 Southampton - 2 0 0 0 5 - - Cédric 31/08/1991 24 Southampton - 1 0 0 0 5 - - Paulo Oliveira 08/01/1992 23 Sporting CP - 0 0 0 0 1 - - Raphael Guerreiro 22/12/1993 21 Lorient - 1 0 0 0 2 1 Midfielders - Danny 07/08/1983 32 Zenit - 4 0 0 0 33 4 - Miguel Veloso 11/05/1986 29 Dynamo Kyiv - 1 0 0 0 54 2 - Adrien Silva 15/03/1989 26 Sporting CP - 1 0 0 0 5 - - João Mário 19/01/1993 22 Sporting CP - 1 0 0 0 4 - - Danilo 09/09/1991 23 Porto - 0 0 0 0 3 - - Bernardo Silva 10/08/1994 21 Monaco - 0 0 0 0 2 - - André André 26/08/1989 26 Porto - 0 0 0 0 1 - Forwards - Ricardo Quaresma 26/09/1983 31 Beşiktaş - 3 0 0 0 42 4 - Cristiano Ronaldo 05/02/1985 30 Real Madrid - 4 5 0 0 121 55 - Vieirinha 24/01/1986 29 Wolfsburg - 2 0 0 0 16 1 - Silvestre Varela 02/02/1985 30 Porto - 0 0 0 0 27 5 - Nani 17/11/1986 28 Fenerbahçe - 5 0 0 0 87 14 - Éder 22/12/1987 27 Swansea - 3 0 0 0 19 1 Coach - Fernando Santos 10/10/1954 60 - 2 0 0 0 7 - 5 Albania - Portugal Monday 7 September 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Head coach Gianni De Biasi Date of birth: 16 June 1956 Nationality: Italian Playing career: Treviso FC, FC Internazionale Milano, AC Reggiana 1919, Pescara Calcio, Brescia Calcio, US Città di Palermo, Vicenza Calcio, Bassano Virtus 55 ST Coaching career: FC Pro Vasto, Carpi FC 1909, Cosenza Calcio, SPAL 1907, Modena FC, Brescia Calcio, Torino FC (three times), Levante UD, Udinese Calcio, Albania • Served apprenticeship as an academy coach and on the lower rungs of the Italian football ladder before making his name overseeing back-to-back promotions at Modena – guiding them from the third division to Serie A in 2002. It ended a 38-year absence from the top flight. • Helped Modena survive first season among the elite before moving to Brescia, where he stayed two years before embarking on a tumultuous spell at Torino in 2005. • Arrived with Torino picking up the pieces after bankruptcy and exceeded expectations by steering them back to Serie A in his first campaign, only to be replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni three days before the start of the next term. He was reappointed within seven months, leading the Granata to safety. • Spent 2007/08 at Levante, winning plaudits despite relegation, then returned for a third stint at Torino with five games of the season remaining and saved them from relegation again. Sacked that December, he had a two-month reign at Udinese in 2009/10 before finding more constancy as Albania boss. • A one-time midfielder with a handful of top-flight playing campaigns under his belt, De Biasi was installed in December 2011 as successor to Josip Kuže. He signed a new deal running until the end of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying in November 2013.