Luxembourg look to break Albania duck
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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Luxembourg have never scored a goal against Albania but Group D's basement team will look to put that right when the teams meet at the Josy Barthel stadium.
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Group D's bottom team Luxembourg will look to rack up some belated points as they play host to an Albania side whom they lost out to narrowly earlier in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying.
• On 7 September last year, Hamdi Salihi turned in Armend Dallku's cross in the 37th minute as Josip Kuže's side prevailed at home to a Luxembourg side whose hopes of a comeback were dented by Mario Mutsch's 58th-minute dismissal for a second yellow card.
• Albania's record in four games against Luxembourg reads W3 D1 L0 (W1 D1 L0 in Luxembourg).
• The sides met in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2008, with Albania winning the opening engagement 2-0 in Tirana on 2 June 2007 thanks to goals from Edmond Kapllani and Altin Haxhi.
• The teams crossed paths again at the Josy Barthel stadium in Luxembourg four days later, and this time Albania triumphed 3-0 courtesy of a Kapllani double and a goal from Ervin Skela.
• Although they have yet to muster a single goal against Albania, Luxembourg did at least record a 0-0 draw with their upcoming opponents in a friendly game in Hesperange on 13 February 2002.