North Macedonia vs England prediction, odds and betting tips
England will conclude their Euro 2024 qualification campaign against North Macedonia on Monday night.
- England to win both halves - 5/4 with bet365
- England to win to nil - 4/6 with bet365
- Bukayo Saka to score any time - 8/5 with bet365
For nations like England, there are few conclusions to be drawn from qualification campaigns. That is particularly the case now that there 24 teams take part in the European Championship rather than 16.
Still, it has mostly been smooth sailing for Gareth Southgate’s side, who have had their feet up in the final set of qualifiers taking place this month.
England booked their place at the tournament in Germany in October after a 3-1 victory over Italy secured a top-two finish in Group C.
Meanwhile a 2-0 success against Malta on Friday night means England are guaranteed to finish top of this five-team section.
The Three Lions were never in danger of dropping points in that match, but the margin of victory was a lot narrower than most expected.
England took the lead in the eighth minute via an own goal from Enrico Pepe, but they did not double their advantage until Harry Kane made it 2-0 with a quarter of an hour left on the clock.
It was, in truth, a laboured and lacklustre performance from England, who got the job done but did little more than that.
"We did not hit the heights we have done this calendar year,” Southgate admitted when talking to the BBC.
"If you do not start games well it's very difficult to pick it up and we did not. We know the level we have got should be better, can be better.”
Southgate will be looking for a response on Monday when England do battle with North Macedonia in Skopje.
We fancy England’s chances of signing off on a high as the European Championship qualification campaign comes to an end.
England are unbeaten in their first seven games in Group C and they will be keen to keep it that way. But a draw here would be a disappointing result, so Southgate’s side will be going all-out for three points.
A victory on Monday would make it seven out of eight on the road to Germany, with a 1-1 draw with Ukraine the only result denying England a 100 percent record.
The Three Lions will be among the favourites to win the tournament next summer. Perhaps only France have a more talented squad at their disposal, while England came mighty close to winning the European Championship last time out.
This dead rubber against North Macedonia will be long forgotten by the time Euro 2024 kicks off in June, but that does not mean it is of no significance.
England will not play again until March, so every match is important with so few remaining before the tournament.
Only a handful of players are guaranteed a place in the squad for the Euros, so a positive individual performance in an encounter like this could make all the difference given Southgate’s penchant for picking those who have done well for him in the past.
North Macedonia have only beaten Malta in this group, and they were thumped 7-0 by England at Wembley in the reverse fixture in June. This should be a comfortable evening for Southgate and co.
England have dominated Group C: not only have they amassed the most points, they have scored the most goals (21) and conceded the fewest (three).
In fact, only France and Portugal have better defensive records than England, who will be seeking a fifth clean sheet of the campaign on Monday.
The Three Lions have not yet conceded to North Macedonia or Malta, the two weakest teams in the group, and they should be able to shut out their upcoming opponents in Skopje.
North Macedonia did manage to score twice against Italy last time out, but they were 3-0 down by the time they found the back of the net.
Moreover, Italy have not been as defensively secure as England in Group C, with only two clean sheets to their name - both against Malta.
Southgate is often criticised for excessive caution, and while that is unlikely to be an issue in this essentially meaningless match against North Macedonia, it does mean that England are usually defensively sound.
Bukayo Saka was left out of the starting XI against Malta as Southgate opted for a front three of Phil Foden, Kane and Marcus Rashford.
The latter sustained an injury after an accidental collision with Trent Alexander-Arnold, leaving Manchester United sweating on his fitness.
Even if Rashford’s ailment proves to be minor, he will not be risked here. That increases the chances of Saka coming into the side.
The Arsenal man has been a key part of the England team over the last couple of years and he is likely to be in the line-up for his team’s opening game at Euro 2024.
Saka brings plenty of qualities to the attack, not least his ability to create and convert chances. He looks like an astute choice to get on the scoresheet on Monday night.
- Location: Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia.
- Date and time: Monday 20 November 2023, 7.45pm.
- How to watch: Channel 4.
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