The Albania U-19 women’s national team played their first match of the second round of the UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship in Group B4 against Montenegro. The match, held at "Elbasan Arena," ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat for the Albanian side. The team’s only goal came from their captain, Xhesika Ndoj.
Match Summary: Head coach Luçije Gjini fielded the following starting lineup against Montenegro:
Starting XI: Rajmonda Spahiu (GK), Herta Hasaj, Angela Nika, Klea Alushi, Xhesika Ndoj (C), Arjela Lako, Klesta Ago, Rosela Vasa, Juarda Aliaj, Era Methoxha, Stela Vata.
Albania started the match strongly, earning a penalty in the opening minutes. Captain Xhesika Ndoj stepped up to take the shot but was denied by Montenegro’s goalkeeper. However, she redeemed herself shortly after by scoring a stunning goal in the 16th minute, giving Albania the lead.
The advantage was short-lived as Montenegro quickly equalized through a penalty of their own, successfully converted by Katarina Čađenović in the 19th minute. The Montenegrin team then took the lead in the 25th minute with a goal from Tatjana Osmajić.
Despite Albania’s efforts to respond, they were unlucky as Klesta Ago’s shot struck the post during the first half.
Second Half and Substitutions: At the start of the second half, Albania made two substitutions: Juarda Aliaj and Klea Alushi were replaced by Adela Qose and Stiljana Guga. The Albanian side pushed forward in search of an equalizer, coming close in the 79th minute when both Ndoj and Hasaj had shots on target, but Montenegro’s goalkeeper made crucial saves to preserve their lead.
The match concluded with a 2-1 victory for Montenegro, despite Albania’s relentless efforts to level the score.
Other Group B4 Results and Upcoming Matches: On the same day, the other Group B4 match between Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan took place at the "House of Football," where Northern Ireland dominated with a convincing 4-0 victory.
Albania’s next fixture will be against Azerbaijan on February 21st at "Egnatia Arena," with kickoff set for 14:30. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland will face Montenegro in their second group match on the same day at 11:30 at the "House of Football."
Albania will be looking to bounce back and secure their first points in the group stage in their upcoming match against Azerbaijan.