Slovenia U21 vs Albania U21

Slovenia U21 fought back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against Albania U21 in a friendly at Ajdovščina on June 5. The hosts showed real resilience to level matters in the second half and deny their visitors what would have been a confidence-boosting win. Albania broke the deadlock when Etnik Brruti stepped up to convert a penalty in the 26th minute, just two minutes after Elton Fikaj had been booked — the spot-kick giving the visitors a deserved lead. Slovenia steadily grew into the game after the restart and drew level when Mitja Ilenič struck in the 56th minute to make it 1-1. The draw is a fair result on the day. For Albania, it underlines the need to hold onto leads; for Slovenia, the ability to come from behind adds a useful layer of belief as both sides continue building their squads ahead of the UEFA Euro 2027 qualifying cycle.