Portugal Vs North Macedonia Betting Tip: Away +2 AH – 29 March 2022

Lynxes with one more upset in them?

Arijan Ademi / North Macedonia ©IMAGO / MB Media Solutions 24.03.2022

Portugal Portugal Vs North Macedonia Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of

Tuesday 29 March, 2022 – 19:45 (GMT)
UEFA World Cup Qualifying Play-Off
Pick: North Macedonia +2 (Asian Handicap Betting)
Odds: 3/4
Bookmaker: 888Sport
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 27 March 2022)

Preview: Estadio do Dragao provides the setting for Tuesday’s winner-takes-all tussle as Portugal and North Macedonia face off in a competitive fixture for the first time. The victor securing their ticket to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup finals.

World Cup Qualifying Betting at Betfair

 

Portugal – Ronaldo & Co to seize on reprieve?

Serbia’s last-gasp victory in Lisbon last November was the lasting memory of the group stage. A visibly distraught Cristiano Ronaldo aware that any prospect of featuring at one final World Cup rested on coming through two play-off encounters unscathed. Thanks to a 3-1 win over Turkey, though, the 2016 European Champions are at least a step closer. Only to be hoodwinked at the sight of their opponents in the final.

Instead of a final comprising the previous two European Championship winners, a match-up with Italy that arguably would have seen them start as slight underdogs, they instead find themselves strong favourites to oust North Macedonia in Portugal. It is therefore of little surprise that, after four wins in their last five on home soil, the Portuguese are into 1/20 in places to book their ticket to Qatar 2022.

Key Stat: Portugal have scored multiple goals in five of their last six home matches, but have failed to record a clean sheet in three of the last five on home soil.

 

Draw & Both Teams to Score
9/1

Betfair

 

North Macedonia – Lynxes with one final underdog win in them?

As upsets on the international stage go, North Macedonia eliminating European champions Italy from the World Cup has to rank among the biggest. That should serve as a warning to those underestimating their prospects of qualifying for successive tournaments, after losing all three group stage matches at EURO 2020, even if they did ride their luck to a 1-0 win in Palermo against a wasteful Azzurri.

Italy failed to find any way through despite producing 32 efforts on goal to the four of North Macedonia, Alexsandar Trajkovski unleashing from range in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to snatch an improbable victory. The Lynxes have now won away to Italy and Germany during this qualifying campaign and are unbeaten on their travels (W4 D1) since losing their opening qualifier 3-2 in Romania in March 2021.

Key Stat: Excluding matches played at neutral venues (so all of last summer’s European Championship), North Macedonia have found the net in six consecutive away matches (16 goals in total) since a 1-0 loss to Armenia in November 2020.

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Portugal Vs North Macedonia Betting Advice

If previous encounters between the countries are anything to go on, we could be in for a low-scoring affair at the Estadio do Dragao in Lisbon. The pair are meeting for the very first time in a competitive setting having previously faced off in friendlies. A 1-0 win for Portugal in 2003 preceding a scoreless draw in May 2012. A similarly tense affair would surely favour the underdogs, a North Macedonia still buoyed by their heroics against European champs Italy.

 

Portugal vs North Macedonia – Key Facts:

  • Tuesday’s play-off final will mark only a third ever meeting between the countries, with a pair of friendlies, in 2003 and 2012, producing a solitary goal.
  • Portugal are seeking a sixth home win in seven (L1) but come up against a North Macedonia unbeaten in their past five away internationals (W4 D1).
  • North Macedonia boast away wins over Germany and Italy during 2022 World Cup qualifying, beating the latter 1-0 in Palermo on Thursday, the same night Portugal won 3-1 at home to Turkey.

 

At the prices, the visitors certainly look a spot of value. North Macedonia are unbeaten in five successive away matches during this qualifying campaign. This includes famous victories in Germany and Italy, scoring 16 and conceding just three since a 3-2 loss in Romania in March 2021. Portugal are formidable on their own turf. However they were indebted to Turkey missing a late penalty for scraping through their semi-final.

Best Betting Odds – Portugal Vs North Macedonia

Portugal – 1/5 (Bet365)
Draw – 6/1 (BetVictor)
North Macedonia – 16/1 (Coral)