UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying: England vs Kosovo preview

UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying Group A leaders England will face a tough test on Tuesday at Wembley Stadium in London as they host surprise package Kosovo. The two teams have never met before, because the first ever official match for Kosovo was in 2014, and the first time they appeared in an official competition was in 2016, during the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup. 

England are at the top of the Group A standings after having won three out of three so far, with an impressive 14 goals scored and just one conceded. Last week the Three Lions steamrolled past struggling Bulgaria and won 4-0 with a goal from Raheem Sterling and a hat-trick from Harry Kane. Sterling has now scored in all three group matches and he will most likely be in the starting eleven again on Tuesday, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jadon Sancho might be given a chance to play from the start instead of Ross Barkley and Marcus Rashford. 

Kosovo have been a total surprise in this qualifying campaign, especially after having finished the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with nine defeats out of ten games. After that disastrous campaign Kosovo put together an impressive 15-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, dominated their UEFA Nations League group with Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands and Malta, and now won the last two matches in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. In June they recorded their first win of the campaign, 3-2 in Bulgaria, and last week they defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in Pristina. 

Probable line-ups: 

England: Pickford - Trippier, Keane, Maguire, Rose - Rice, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain - Sancho, Sterling, Kane

Kosovo: Muric - Vojvoda, Rhahmani, Aliti, Hadergjonaj - Voca, Halimi - Zhegrova, Celina, Rashani - Muriqi

My prediction: 

Kosovo are really tough customers in this campaign, they have solid players with experience in good European leagues, and they really have a chance to qualify for the final tournament. England have been playing really well so far, though, and I think the Three Lions will be able to secure a 3-1 win. 

Here are the odds for the match at NetBet: 

England win - 1.08

Draw - 15.00

Kosovo win - 29.00