North Macedonia Vs Kosovo
North Macedonia Vs Kosovo Thursday 8 October 2020 – 19:45 (GMT)
UEFA Euro 2020 Play-Off
Pick: North Macedonia WIN
Odds: 6/4
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 6 October 2020)
Preview: A potential spot at the forthcoming European Championship is at stake in Skopje Thursday. Can North Macedonia capitalise on home advantage when they welcome Kosovo to the National Arena Toshe Proeski, with the winner here set to meet the winner of Georgia vs Belarus in Monday’s final.
UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifying Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
North Macedonia Preview – Hosts well-placed to progress?
A maiden appearance at the finals of a major tournament potentially beckons for North Macedonia, whose recent record points towards a bold showing from coach Igor Angelovski and his side in Thursday’s one-off encounter in Skopje. They are expected to get the better of an unpredictable but capable Kosovo team ranked 50 places worse off (66 vs 116) in the latest FIFA Rankings.
North Macedonia come into this tie in high spirits as well, having not lost in three matches (W2 D1). The latest a 1-1 draw in Georgia – a fixture which could be repeated in the play-off final – to begin their 2020-21 Nations League campaign in League C with four points from six. This after a best-ever finish of third in Euro 2020 Qualifying, winning three of five home fixtures to finish above the likes of Israel and Slovenia.
In fact, the ‘Red Lynxes’ have put up formidable form in their own backyard for quite some time now. Not only are they on a three-game winning sequence inside their National Arena Toshe Proeski but they have won nine of the past eleven (W9 L2) such matches. A run stretching back to September 2017. Only nine goals were conceded across this spell, four of which came in a single outing during a rare home defeat to Austria (1-4).
Kosovo Preview – Underdogs need to defy recent lull in form?
Five years on from being granted UEFA membership, Kosovo stand on the cusp of something truly remarkable: qualification into next summer’s tournament for the European Championship. This a team which came agonisingly close to automatic qualification after a valiant effort in Group A of Euro 2020 Qualifying, only denied a top two finish once losing their final two contests to Czech Republic and England.
Kosovo’s creditable showing during the qualifying phase, when finishing above Montenegro and Bulgaria to finish only four points behind the Czechs in third, should have been a springboard for their recent Nations League campaign. That has not been the case, picking up one point from a possible six following a 1-1 draw in Moldova and 2-1 loss at home to Greece. It leaves them currently winless in five matches (D1 L4).
A recent barren spell has acted as a reality check for a team which had only suffered one loss in eighteen prior internationals (W12 D5 L1). However, what they truly excel at is scoring. Across their past 23 matches they would fail to find the back of the net on just three occasions. Moreover, a 5-3 defeat in England was among seven of their most recent eight away contests to see them score at least once.
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North Macedonia vs Kosovo Betting Advice
Opportunity beckons for two countries whom have never qualified for a major tournament before but would come close with respective third place finishes during the group phase. There can be no doubts as to which of these sides comes into Thursday’s meeting in the better shape, though. North Macedonia losing none of their last three competitive matches (W2 D1) and only two of the last eleven on home soil (W9 L2).
North Macedonia vs Kosovo – Key Facts
- Nine wins and nine goals conceded across their most recent eleven home internationals (W9 L2) for North Macedonia.
- Five games without a victory now for Kosovo (D1 L4), who have won none of the last four away from home and only two of the previous nine (W2 D4 L3).
- Thursday will mark the first ever meeting between the two nations, who are separated in the latest FIFA Rankings by 50 places, with North Macedonia ranked the higher in 66.
The visitors, meanwhile, are without a win in their last five internationals having lost on four occasions. The most recent of those, a 2-1 reverse at home to Greece, came not long after a drab 1-1 draw in Moldova. Neither result inspire much confidence ahead of what is undoubtedly the biggest fixture in the country’s history since becoming a UEFA member five years ago. However, Kosovo do have a habit for finding the net.
Best Betting Odds – North Macedonia Vs Kosovo
North Macedonia – 6/4 (Betfair)
Draw – 43/20 (Unibet)
Kosovo – 21/10 (Betfair)
