Both vying for promotion to the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Albania and League B Group 1 leaders Czech Republic will lock horns on Saturday evening.

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After opening their 2024-25 Nations League campaign with a 2-1 away win over Ukraine in September, Albania's challenge for first place in Group 1 then faltered, following defeats to Georgia and Czech Republic.

Sylvinho's side completed their October camp on a brighter note, though, by beating Georgia 1-0 in Tbilisi thanks to Kristjan Asllani's second-half strike.

With six points on the board so far - one shy of the Czechs but also just two clear of last-placed Ukraine - Albania's fate cannot be decided until the final matchday, whatever the result this weekend.

Both of their last two fixtures will be played in Tirana, so Sylvinho can at least target a second-place finish, which would earn the Kuqezinjte a promotion playoff.

Reaching League A and mixing with Europe's elite would cap off several years of steady progression for Albanian football, but the threat of dropping down into League C has yet to be dismissed.

Like their hosts, Czech Republic bowed out early at Euro 2024, and they were surely suffering a hangover from that group-stage exit when losing 4-1 to Georgia in their first Group 1 contest.

After edging out Ukraine in a five-goal thriller just a few days later, the Czechs sparked a revival and ultimately overtook Georgia by claiming four points from two games in October.

Ivan Hasek's side first posted a 2-0 home victory over Albania, with Tomas Chory netting a brace, before being held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine in Wroclaw.

Having been demoted from League A in the last Nations League, promotion back to the top tier has been their sole target throughout the current campaign, and they can now secure first place with one game to spare.

If they win on Saturday and Georgia lose to Ukraine, no-one would be able to catch them next week, when the group stage reaches its finale.