Great chance for Albania!

An England corner is cleared and the home side break at speed. The ball is fed through to Myrto Uzuni just inside the box, with only Pope to beat. He fails to test the England keeper, though, lifting his shot over the bar.

It is comfortably the best opportunity either side have had. England are lucky to still be on level terms.

Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

It'll be on Nick Pope's mind [trying to keep a sixth successive clean-sheet] - and motivation. It's fair for him to be playing these games - he's the number one keeper, while Jordan Pickford is injured, so play him in every game.

England win the first corner, which Foden whips in for Stones to dive in and head over. Good delivery but the execution on the finish couldn't quite match it.

Nothing of note in an attacking sense to report yet. The game is being predominantly in the middle third of the pitch.

Keidi Bare tries to chip a ball forward for Chelsea's Armando Broja but it is way over-hit and gathered by Pope.

Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Albania are playing a very flat back five which gives them width - you need to occupy those wingers.

I've noticed Rice has stepped back a lot into that backline to get the ball forward.

Luke Shaw is already a regular presence in the Albania half on the left, looking to affect matters high up the pitch.

England are on the ball early, looking to zip it around and find an opening. Sterling cuts in from the right and tries to find Kalvin Phillips near the edge of the Albania box but the home side are alive to the threat and intercept.

Image source, Getty Images

Nick Pope gets an early slip under his belt in belting away his first long ball forward.

Shortly after, Luke Shaw is halted with a charge down the left by a couple of Albanian defenders.

Away we go. After taking a knee, England get the game under way.

Ben Sibley: Of course Prowsey should be dropped after such a great performance in the last game.... #sarcasm, external

Roger: It will be interesting to see how Rice and Shaw work. I would be telling them to keep an eye on who's going forward, Rice should take initiative and get forward.

Don't think there's any danger of a Diamond Lights effort from any of this England squad. Empty stadiums really do hang these lads out to dry for anthem singing.

Saying that, they'd still win a sing-off against the Albanians. Not pretty.

Image source, Getty Images

England

England manager Gareth Southgate speaking to ITV: "We have a team where our defenders can play, they can build the game well and we have forwards that can finish well. Our defenders need to defend well and show resilience and forwards need to defend form the front. We have to bring those qualities today.

"We have rich attacking talent in this team, not all of which are here with us this month but Mason Mount and Phil Foden have worked well in an England shirt they work hard to press but their ability to take players out of the game will hopefully help to give Harry Kane some chances and create chances for each other as well.

"Albania are well coached and have consistency but they've made some changes today so its a good test for us - if we want to be a top team we have to be in control and withstand everything that is thrown at us."

Image source, Getty Images

England's Harry Kane has scored in each of his past seven away qualifying matches for the Euros/World Cup, the longest run by an England player.

Kane has scored at 16 different stadiums as an England player, with this the Three Lions' first game at the Arena Kombetare. Only Tom Finney (17), Michael Owen (25) and Wayne Rooney (27) have scored a goal at more different stadiums for England than Kane.

BBC Sounds

Need a little primer for today's game?

Steve Crossman, John Murray, Ian Dennis and The Telegraph's Jason Burt preview England's World Cup Qualifier against Albania on the latest Football Daily.

They debate several of the selection headaches Gareth Southgate faces both in the immediate future and looking ahead to this summer's rescheduled Euros.

They also hear from the England manager on Luke Shaw's international return after a season of redemption for the left-back at Manchester United as well as the prospect of a City-United quartet in defence. And Harry Maguire compares the England side that reached a World Cup semi-final three years ago to the current crop of players he now works with.

Don't go underestimating the home side.

Albania are looking to start their World Cup qualifying campaign with two consecutive wins for a second time, also doing so in their last campaign before the 2018 World Cup. They defeated Andorra 1-0 in their first match of this campaign.

They have also won their past four international matches - their best run since August 2010 - but have never won five consecutive matches.

Karen Carney
Former England and Chelsea winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's something we've wanted to hear about. I keep reiterating, Luke Shaw had physical injuries but it's the mental issues that go with that which also affected him.

He looks happy, fit and resilient now. I actually think he's the starting left-back.

Tom Hartgill: Why does Phillips keep getting picked? We don’t need him and Rice, and not sure he’s good enough to be in the team or squad anyway.

Paul Carney: Given the resources at his disposal a predictable line up from Southgate. Glad he found the bottle to start Foden and Mount.

There's a debate to be had about whether Phillips gets into England's strongest XI, but he definitely belongs in the squad, I reckon.

Image source, Getty Images

What about games against Albania?

Well, England have won all four of their previous matches against Albania, with all games coming in World Cup qualifiers for the 1990 and 2002 tournaments.

Yesterday, it was exactly 20 years since England last played in Albania, winning 3-1 in Tirana in March 2001 with goals from Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Andrew Cole.

England don't really lose World Cup qualifiers away from home - at least not in the last 10 or so years.

They have lost just two of their past 29 away matches in World Cup qualifying campaigns (W19 D8), losing to Northern Ireland in September 2005 and Ukraine in October 2009.

They're also in a rich vein of goalscoring form of late, scoring 42 goals in their past nine qualifiers for major tournaments (W8 L1), netting five or more goals in six of those games under Gareth Southgate. The only Three Lions boss to see England score five or more goals in as many qualifiers was Sir Bobby Robson - also with six.

Are England better now than when they reached the World Cup semi-finals in Russia? Harry Maguire thinks so.

"I think over the three years we've developed, we've worked more tactically, the experience of the big tournament, the highs and the lows," the 28-year-old Manchester United defender.

"We've got to take that experience into the coming tournaments. I'm sure that will help us. Of course as a player and as a team three years is a long time to develop and we have developed in a positive way."