The Republic of Ireland squad arrived in Shkoder yesterday evening for a second Nations League meeting with Albania in five days.
Friday's home fixture went along expected lines. The 5-1 win has opened a five-point cushion at the top of Group B1.
Top spot and promotion to League A could be secured this Tuesday with two games to spare.
For that to transpire another Irish win over Albania needs to be coupled with a draw between Northern Ireland and Hungary in Seaview.
Located two hours north of Tirana, Shkoder is the fifth most populous city in Albania, and regarded as the traditional capital of the Northern region.
Temperatures hit the early thirties in the summer, and when match time arrives on Tuesday evening at 6pm local time [5pm in Ireland], it could hit 20 degrees.
The Albanian women's national team was only formed in 2011, two years after the inaugural playing of their Women's National Championship.
Ranked 72nd in the world, 48 places below the Republic of Ireland, they lie bottom of this Nations League group with a solitary point from three games.
There was a palpable sense of shock when Megi Doci's well taken goal cancelled out Katie McCabe's early opener at Tallaght Stadium, but the gulf in class between the sides became evident in the second half.
Tuesday's encounter will be played at the home of KF Vllaznia Shkoder, the Loro Borici stadium, located in the city centre.
Borici (1922-1984) is a legendary figure in Albanian football, playing in Italy, with Lazio, before successful spells with Vllaznia Shkoder and Partizani Tirana. He also captained and managed the national team.
The 16,000 capacity venue also staged Albania's Group opener with Hungary, a 1-1 draw. A crowd of 1,200 were attracted to that game, with something similar expected on Tuesday.
Given the quality of opposition thus far, it's difficult to gauge the true level of the Irish performances in the group.
Clearly, encouragement should be taken from the bare facts, nine points from three games played, 12 goals scored and only one conceded. Katie McCabe and Kyra Carusa have filled their boots, racking up four goals apiece.
The newly formed UEFA Women's Nations League has come at a good time for the Girls in Green.
Following the fallout from the departure of Vera Pauw, and a World Cup campaign that yielded a single point, this run of competitive wins can only be viewed as a positive.
With the prospect of promotion looking virtually inevitable, there will be a significant step up in the quality of opposition in next year's European Championship qualifiers.
15 nations will join hosts Switzerland in the finals in July 2025.
The Republic of Ireland only narrowly missed out on a place in League A in this Nations League.
Six of the world's top seven ranked nations, including World Cup winners Spain, are likely to be playing in League A of the Euro qualifiers.
A top-two finish in a strong four team group may seem daunting. However, there is the safety net of a guaranteed play-off for the League A nations finishing third and fourth in their group.
Eileen Gleeson continues to quell any talk of upgrading her interim head coach role to something more permanent. She looks likely to extend her 100% record to a fourth game on Tuesday evening.
