North Macedonia vs Netherlands Prediction - Betting Tips and Preview - EURO 2020
How North Macedonia Qualified for Euro 2020
North Macedonia made it out of a tricky group to qualify for their first ever European Championship finals. They finished third in qualification Group G behind Poland and their tournament group rivals, Austria.
It’s the first time the nation has qualified for any major international tournament and they did it the hard way. They went through Path D alongside some strong sides. North Macedonia beat Kosovo 2-1 in the semi-finals before the final match against Georgia. Star man, Goran Pandev scored the only goal of the match for North Macedonia. They made it to the tournament proper for the first time in the nation’s history.
How Netherlands Qualified for Euro 2020
The Netherlands had their own issues in qualifying. They were up against Germany in the qualifying Group C and put on some excellent performances. The only match they lost was against Germany – a 3-2 defeat at the Johan Cruyff Arena back in March 2019. They returned the favour in Hamburg with a stomping 4-2 win over the 2014 World Cup champions.
But the Netherlands missed out on top spot as they dropped a couple of points along the way. They drew 0-0 with Northern Ireland in Belfast and finished second, two points behind Germany. The goal difference meant they would’ve needed a big win to secure top spot but it was the only disappointment for Frank de Boer.
North Macedonia v Netherlands Stats & Analysis
These two sides have met in competitive matches just four times down the years. They were drawn in FIFA World Cup qualification twice with the most recent fixtures taking place back in 2008 and 2009. The Netherlands won them both including a 4-0 triumph in Amsterdam.
It’s an interesting match. North Macedonia are far from the strongest defensive side in the competition right now. They kept just three clean sheets in their 12 qualification matches en route to their first major tournament. In comparison, the Netherlands conceded in just half of their matches.
There are striking differences at the other end as well. Frank de Boer’s side certainly knew their way to the goal. They grabbed an average of 3.00 goals per match with an xG of 2.03. North Macedonia were at the other end of that scale. They managed just 1.25 goals per game on an average xG of 1.27.
North Macedonia v Netherlands Bets
So it’s no surprise to see that the Netherlands are the big favourites here. They are 2/9 to secure three vital points in this match at the Johann Cruyff Arena. A draw is 11/2 and North Macedonia are out at 65/4 to cause a major upset.
The odds are slim for a Dutch win. One good way to get the match outcome odds up is to back them to win and to shut their opponents out. The Netherlands are still just 4/6 to win this match to nil. They may be playing on home soil here but they’re classified as the away side. It’s 7/4 for the visitors, Netherlands to win with a European handicap of 2-0 to North Macedonia and 4/1 for 3-0. That may not be out of the question given their attacking quality.
