Albania vs Israel 3 June 2026 Prediction

Neither Albania nor Israel qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Their next official matches are scheduled for September, when the Nations League begins. Israel is preparing for that tournament with the same manager, while Albania appointed a new one in mid-May: Rolando Maran. Can the Italian specialist start with a win?

A New Stage and Ambitious Goals

Albania changed managers and immediately set clear targets for Maran: first place in the Nations League group, qualification for Euro 2028, and a longer-term goal the team has never achieved before — reaching the 2030 World Cup. The Italian supported those ambitions and said the squad has potential. Still, it is worth noting that he has no previous experience working with national teams.

For his first camp, Maran called up both the established core of the squad and several new names. Partizani goalkeeper Pano Qirko, who kept clean sheets in 35% of his matches this season, and Carrarese midfielder Luis Hasa, who had 5 goals and 4 assists in 34 matches, were included for the first time. Maran also brought back forwards Taulant Seferi (17 goals and 9 assists) and Cristian Shpendi (12 goals and 5 assists).

The Team Is Staying on Its Current Path

Although Israel failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after finishing behind Italy and Norway, Ran Ben Shimon remained in charge. There is not much reason to criticize the manager. His team handled weaker opponents confidently and even made one match against Italy highly competitive, losing 5-4.

For the upcoming friendly, the Israeli manager called up all of his strongest available players, including left back Roy Revivo, who recorded 7 goals and 16 assists for his club, and central midfielder Dor Peretz (22 goals and 3 assists). Left winger Amir Ganah and forward Dor Turgeman also received another opportunity with the national team.

Albania vs Israel Prediction: Israel Double Chance at 1.70

• Main prediction: Albania held its first training session with the new manager only on June 1. Maran had previously said he wants to switch the team to a 4-3-3 shape and add more aggression. It is still unclear how quickly those changes will work, but mistakes are likely. Israel, meanwhile, does not appear set to experiment. The squad is close to full strength, and as the recent 2-2 match against Georgia showed, this team can compete even against solid opposition. The visitors should be able to take advantage of Albania’s transition period and get a positive result. The pick is Israel double chance at 1.70.
• Goals prediction: Israel is not a team that usually sits deep for long periods. In its last two matches alone, it scored six goals. Maran has also made it clear that his team will look to attack actively. The call-ups of Seferi and Shpendi strengthen Albania’s forward options, and Mirlind Daku is also in the squad after scoring 10 goals for Rubin in 30 Russian Premier League matches. The recommended bet is both teams to score — yes at 1.82.