North Macedonia and Finland are the major underdogs to lift the Euro 2020 trophy based on the outright odds. The online betting sites rank these two national football teams with fewer chances to make a winning run until the grand final at 501.00 odds (500/1). Facing the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Austria in Group C, the landlocked nation in Balkan Peninsula pays 21.00 odds (20/1) to take 1st place and 3.50 (5/2) to qualify. Both picks seem to have an unrealistic set of expectations, but these selections can give a massive payout if North Macedonia makes a big surprise and reach the knockout phase. The Euro 2020 will be the Igor Angelovski team’s first elite tournament. The Balkan minnow nation has many unknown players, but there are some critical units in the squad. Of course, the greater of all is the super-experienced Goran Pandev, the natural leader of “Red Lynxes.”
Read our North Macedonia Euro 2020 analysis based on the squad, probable lineups, and tactics. You can explore all the latest odds and the released predictions for its potential route if Angelovski’s players qualify from the group stage.
North Macedonia Euro 2021 Odds & Predictions
The young football nation placed 3rd at Group G for the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Poland and Austria took the first two places, with North Macedonia collecting 14 points from four wins and two draws. Angelovski’s men will face Austria again at Euro 2020 Group C; against the Central Europeans, they suffered two defeats, 4-1 away and 2-1 at home, at the preliminary round. North Macedonia dominated the Nations League path D playoff to secure a place for the major tournament. In the semi-finals, Angelovski’s side won Kosovo 2-1 at Skopje and triumphed after a 1-0 win against Georgia at Tbilisi.
Goran Pandev scored the decisive goal, sending his nation to Euro 2020 for the first time in its 28-years history. The Netherlands, Ukraine, and Austria are more experienced and have a better amount of quality. So, it’s challenging to analyze where the “Red Lynxes” can progress in this summer’s tournament. You can get our released predictions and picks based on the latest North Macedonia’s Euro 2021 odds to qualify from Group C.
✔️ Group C ⏩ North Macedonia to Place 3rd @5.75 (19/4) odds.
✔️ Group C ⏩ North Macedonia’s group points Over 1,5 @1.80 (4/5) odds.
✔️ Group C ⏩ North Macedonia’s group goals Over 1,5 @1.87 (87/100) odds.
✔️ Group C ⏩ Netherlands, Ukraine & North Macedonia to Place 1st, 2nd & 3rd* @6.50 (11/2) odds.
*without a specific order
North Macedonia Euro 2020 Fixtures & Schedule
After the 3-2 away defeat at Romania and the foreseeable 5-0 win against Liechtenstein at home, North Macedonia shocked Germany with a 2-1 win at Duisburg. So, the Balkan nation increased its chances to qualify for the World Cup 2022 after the heroic goals of Pandev and Elmas against four-time World Champions last March. Although their stunning recent appearances, North Macedonians failed to promote to Nations League B after their 2nd-placed finish at Group C2.
They collected nine points from two wins and three draws, losing 1st place from Armenia. Angelovski’s men will face Austria on the opening day and Ukraine on Matchday 2 at neutral Bucharest, Arena Nationala venue. For Matchday 3, they will travel to Amsterdam to play against the host nation Netherlands in front of the Dutch crowd. So, let’s see North Macedonia’s Euro 2020 fixtures for Group C and comprehend what will happen if the minnow football country finishes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
North Macedonia Euro 2020 Fixtures | Date | Venue |
Austria vs. North Macedonia | June 13, 2021 / 18:00 CET | Arena Nationala, Bucharest |
Ukraine vs. North Macedonia | June 17, 2021 / 15:00 CET | Arena Nationala, Bucharest |
North Macedonia vs. Netherlands | June 21, 2021 / 18:00 CET | Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam |
Can North Macedonia Win Group C?
For most football experts and fans, North Macedonians will be pleased if they take a point from the group matches against the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Austria. The chances are against them, with the pick “not qualify” for the knockout phase paying 1.30 odds. You can see average odds and check all possible outcomes that the Balkan nation can bring on Euro 2020 Group C.
⏩ Το Win Group @21.00 (20/1) odds.
⏩ To Place 2nd @11.00 (10/1) odds.
⏩ To Qualify Group @3.50 (5/2) odds.
⏩ To Place 3rd @5.75 (19/4) odds.
⏩ Not to Qualify Group @1.30 (3/10) odds.
Read the table below and learn all the possible scenarios based on North Macedonia’s Euro 2020 fixtures if the “Red Lynxes” secure a place for the knockout phase.
North Macedonia Group Place | Last-16 Probable Opponents |
1st | 3rd Group D (England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic) / 3rd Group E (Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia) / 3rd Group F (Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany) |
2nd | Winner Group A (Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland) |
3rd* | Winner Group F (Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany) / Winner Group E (Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia) |
*If Group C gives one of the best 3rd-placed teams to advance to the Last-16.
✔️ Our prediction: Austria is a familiar opponent for North Macedonia. So, the group’s opening day match will determine the Balkans’ chances of qualifying for the knockout phase. If they win Austria, they will take advantage of placing at least 3rd. Two special bets referring to total points and goals depend on that result. The Over 1,5 option in both markets gives a decent payout at 1.80 and 1.87 odds, respectively.
What odds & bets bookies offer North Macedonia
North Macedonia, alongside Croatia, is the only former Yugoslavian nation at Euro 2020. The biggest challenge for the young football nation is to prove that it can stand at this level against opponents having credentials in elite tournaments. Igor Angelovski and his players set their hopes high just a few months ago after their massive win against Germany. The main drawback is the lack of experience at the highest level, so it’s not surprising to see pricing 501.00 odds North Macedonia’s winning chances. Realistically, if the “Red Lynxes” placed 3rd in Group C and qualify as one of the four well-performing 3rds, they will face the winners of Group E and F. So, the Balcans seem to have a ceiling to reach the Last 16 Round, but they can’t go further.
✔️ Our prediction: The Netherlands and Ukraine are the top contenders for 1st and 2nd place in Group C. So, North Macedonia should chase Austria for 3rd place and win the opening day’s match against the Central European nation. The chances are against Balkans once more in Euro 2020 tournament, being a significant underdog at 6.50 odds to win. Furthermore, if you believe that they will make it, two selections have extended betting value; North Macedonia pays 5.75 odds to take 3rd place, while the possibility of being 1st, 2nd, or 3rd alongside the favorites seems worthy 6.50.
North Macedonia Euro 2020/2021 Lineup & Tactics
The main target for North Macedonia in Euro 2020 is to defy the odds and get out of Group C. Igor Angelovski insists that his players aren’t there just to participate in a major tournament and make up the national football team’s numbers. The “Rex Lynxes” climbed a hundred places approximately on the FIFA rankings, while their youngsters qualified for the Under-21 Euro in 2017 for the first time. So, the newcomers, ranked as outsiders, want to be the Euro 2020 tournament’s dark horses. Read our North Macedonia Euro 2020 preview and learn the detailed tactics, the probable lineup, and the final squad.
The Squad
Igor Angelovski didn’t include in his final calls forward Ilija Nestorovski (46 caps, 10 goals) due to injury and the 35-years-old goalie Martin Bogatinov for technical reasons. The biggest surprise in the recent call-ups was the absence of Agim Ibraimi, a midfielder with 40 international caps and seven goals. However, all the other key players are in contention. Here you can check North Macedonia’s squad for Euro 2020.
Position | Player | Age | Caps | Goals | Current Club |
GK | Stole Dimitrievski | 27 | 42 | 0 | Rayo Vallecano |
GK | Risto Jankov | 22 | 0 | 0 | Rabotnicki |
GK | Damjan Shishkovski | 26 | 6 | 0 | Doxa Katokopia FC |
DF | Egzon Bejtulai | 27 | 21 | 0 | Shkendija |
DF | Gjoko Zajkov | 26 | 17 | 1 | Charleroi |
DF | Kire Ristevski | 30 | 47 | 0 | AE Limassol |
DF | Visar Musliu | 26 | 31 | 1 | Fehervar |
DF | Ezgjan Alioski | 29 | 44 | 8 | Leeds United |
DF | Stefan Ristovski | 29 | 65 | 2 | Dinamo Zagreb |
DF | Darko Velkovski | 26 | 28 | 1 | Rijeka |
MF | Arijan Ademi | 30 | 21 | 4 | Dinamo Zagreb |
MF | Ferhan Hasani | 31 | 41 | 2 | Partizani |
MF | Tihomir Kostadinov | 25 | 10 | 0 | Ruzomberok |
MF | Boban Nikolov | 27 | 34 | 2 | Lecce |
MF | Enis Bardhi | 26 | 34 | 6 | Levante |
MF | Stefan Spirovski | 30 | 40 | 1 | AEK Larnaca |
MF | Elif Elmas | 21 | 27 | 7 | Napoli |
MF | Marjan Radeski | 26 | 17 | 1 | Akademija Pandev |
MF | Daniel Avramovski | 26 | 6 | 0 | Kayserispor |
MF | Darko Churlinov | 21 | 3 | 1 | VfB Stuttgart |
FW | Ivan Trichkovski | 34 | 64 | 7 | AEK Larnaca |
FW | Aleksandar Trajkovski | 28 | 65 | 18 | Mallorca |
FW | Goran Pandev | 37 | 119 | 37 | Genoa |
FW | Vlatko Stojanovski | 24 | 8 | 2 | Chambly |
FW | Krste Velkoski | 33 | 15 | 0 | Sarajevo |
FW | Milan Ristovski | 23 | 1 | 1 | Spartak Trnava |
The Key Players & Tactics
Ezgjan Alioski, a left-back and occasionally a midfielder, is one of the most well-known players in North Macedonia’s squad. He played last season with the newly promoted in the English Premier League, Leeds United. He is one of the leading assisters over the previous three seasons, giving seven from the qualifying group until today. Alioski is also the primary penalty taker, scoring the first goal with a penalty kick in North Macedonia’s rehearsal against Kazakhstan (4-0 win on June 4th).
Captain Goran Pandev is the iconic player in Balkan’s squad. At the age of 37, he remains vital for his country. In fact, Pandev is still a top-level forward wearing Genoa’s kit at Italian Serie A. One more player you should check is Napoli’s midfielder Elif Elmas. He’s one of the squad’s members who believe North Macedonia will advance from the group stage, pointing that the tournament has been the only thing in his mind for the last months. Elmas usually plays outside the defensive box, trying to win tackles and move the ball to the offensive line. Striker Aleksandr Trajkovski is one prolific solution for a starting spot up-front. Also, midfielder Enis Bardhi can produce goals as one of the best free-kick takers in Spanish La Liga, being the highest-scoring foreign player in Levante’s history.
The Probable Lineup
The manager Angelovski tried different strategies and systems through the qualifying stage, Nations League and friendly games. He experimented with 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 formations, but he will probably use the effective 3-4-1-2 at Euro 2020. His target is to take advantage of Pandev’s and Bardhi’s creativity and the dribbling ability of multi-winger Elmas and super-talented full-back Alioski. Dimitrievski will be the starting goalkeeper, with three defending players in front of him. Bejtulai, Musliu, and Velkovski seem to have the most chances to build North Macedonia’s defense. Alioski, Ademi, Nikolov, and Stefan Ristovski will be the four midfielders, and Trajkovski, Elmas, Pandev will construct the offensive line.
The Manager
Igor Angelovski, 45, after a two-year spell at Rabotnicki where he won three domestic titles, moved into the federal bench; firstly as an assistant and from October 2015 as the manager. He is the man who transformed North Macedonia, guiding the young football nation to its first elite tournament. Angelovski has never coached a side outside his country, where he’s understandably popular. The rising manager created a solid team and taught his players how to win. His favorite formations are based on four defenders, but at the Euro 2020 will perform a team with a 3-4-1-2 system.
You can explore the list below containing the best bookmakers for Euro 2020 and find the highest odds for North Macedonia to qualify from the group stage and win the tournament.