TIRANA (Interstat) — Kristjan Asllani scored twice, and Albania held on to beat visiting San Marino 2-1 on Tuesday in a football match that turned on early pressure, a second-half response and a late sequence of cards and changes.

Albania set the tone almost immediately. Asllani struck in the 11th minute, giving the home side an early lead and forcing San Marino to chase the game. The goal was the first major moment of the match and shaped the way both teams approached the first half. Albania pressed for a second, moved the ball quickly through midfield and kept San Marino pinned back for long stretches. San Marino defended in numbers and tried to disrupt Albania’s rhythm, a task that became harder when Fabbri was shown a yellow card in the 38th minute. Albania went into the break ahead and made adjustments at the interval, with Muci E. entering at the 46th minute and Hoxha A. following at the 56th.

San Marino responded after halftime. Lorenzo Lazzari scored in the 66th minute, cutting Albania’s advantage and giving the visitors renewed belief. Lorenzo Capicchioni provided the assist on the goal, one of San Marino’s brightest moments in the match. Lazzari’s finish came during a 32-minute appearance, and it briefly changed the mood of a game that Albania had largely controlled. The goal forced Albania to manage the closing stages with more care, and the home side leaned on Asllani’s finishing to stay in front. Asllani finished with two goals, and his scoring output proved the difference. He played the full 90 minutes, but it was his two finishes rather than the minutes alone that made the strongest impact.

San Marino’s task grew harder as the second half wore on. Cevoli M. was shown a yellow card in the 51st minute, and San Marino made substitutions in the 58th minute with Salicioni F. and Meloni C. entering. Cevoli M. was replaced in the 59th minute, and Rossi D. came on in the 64th. Giocondi S. was booked in the 76th minute, and Giacopetti N. received a yellow card in the 84th. Capicchioni L. was substituted in the 86th minute after setting up Lazzari’s goal. Capicchioni had played 86 minutes before leaving the field. Albania also made changes, with Shehu J. and Mitaj M. entering in the 71st minute. Ismajli A. was booked in the second minute of stoppage time.

The match featured five yellow cards, four for San Marino and one for Albania. San Marino’s disciplinary issues disrupted its attempts to build sustained pressure, while Albania’s substitutions helped protect the lead. Asllani’s brace stood as the game’s top individual performance, followed by Lazzari’s goal and Capicchioni’s assist. Albania’s home advantage held, even as San Marino made the finish tense. San Marino kept searching for an equalizer, but Albania’s defense and game management held firm through the final minutes.

Albania’s win improved its record in the competition to one win and one loss, and its overall season record to one win and one loss. San Marino fell to no wins and two losses in the competition and no wins and two losses across all competitions. San Marino’s previous match this season ended in a loss at Belarus, while Albania’s previous match ended in a loss at Finland. The visitors remained winless but produced a competitive display that kept the result uncertain into the late stages. The result gave Albania its first win of the season in the competition and left San Marino still seeking its first positive result.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Albania 3, San Marino 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Albania with a 66.2 percent probability to win.