France out to strengthen grip on top spot

France could potentially confirm their place in the finals of UEFA EURO 2012 with a game to spare with a win against Group D rivals Albania, although it would take an unlikely result in Zenica for that to happen.

• Victory for Laurent Blanc's side, combined with a defeat for second-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in their home game against bottom team Luxembourg, would secure first place for Les Bleus. Without that combination of results, it will go down to the top two's meeting at the Stade de France on 11 October.

• France beat Albania 2-1 in Tirana on 2 September, goals from Karim Benzema (11) and Yann M'Vila (18) putting the visitors in front before Erjon Bogdani's strike at the beginning of the second half set up a tense finale.

• France's record in three games against Albania is W3 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home). Albania have yet to win an away game in Group D.

• The countries' earlier encounters came in qualifying for the 1992 UEFA European Championship. Basile Boli scored the only goal as France won 1-0 in Tirana on 17 November 1990, with the return fixture in Paris ending 5-0 – Franck Sauzée and Jean-Pierre Papin scored twice each in the first half, with Hysen Zmijani's own goal nine minutes from the end completing the rout.

• Current France coach Blanc featured from start to finish in both of those fixtures.

• Albania's Croatian coach, Josip Kuže, led NK Dinamo Zagreb in a 1989/90 UEFA Cup defeat against AJ Auxerre. His side won 1-0 in France but lost the return leg 3-1 in Croatia.

• The outcome was the same when he led Dinamo into a second meeting with Auxerre in the 2006/07 competition, going down 2-1 at home and 3-1 away.