North Macedonia vs England Betting Tips Euro 2024 Qualifiers
England plays its last game in the Euro 2024 Qualifiers tonight. They take on North Macedonia, who will be backed by a sell-out crowd at the Tose Proeski Arena despite having no chance of qualification. The last time the two teams met, the Three Lions romped home in a 7-0 win. Join our resident sports writer, Luke Andrews, as he looks forward to tonight’s game and suggests some bets worth considering.
England secured a 2-0 win against Malta on Friday night, which means they just need a draw tonight to ensure they are among the top seeds for the Euros in Germany next year.
It was far from a vintage performance from England, who struggled against a team ranked 171st globally.
Although the Three Lions had the lead within eight minutes, thanks to an own goal by Malta’s Enrico Pepe, England struggled to make an impact and didn’t register a single shot on target for the first hour.
The highlight of the match from an English point of view came in the 75th minute when clever interplay from Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka led to Harry Kane scoring his 62nd international goal. A win is a win, but supporters were not impressed, and many expressed disappointment at the final whistle.
England Rampant in the 7-0 Victory at Old Trafford
While fans were underwhelmed by the performance on Friday, England were much more ruthless in the first game against North Macedonia back in June.
Bukayo Saka etched his name in England’s football history books in that game by scoring his inaugural career hat-trick as England dominated North Macedonia at Old Trafford.
Under Gareth Southgate’s guidance, the English team had firmly set their trajectory towards the tournament in Germany next summer. Despite facing relatively feeble opposition in North Macedonia, England’s performance vividly showcased their impressive arsenal of attacking talents.
Central to this display was Arsenal’s Saka, who delivered a magnificent trio of goals, culminating in a standing ovation upon his departure, with England’s triumph already sealed.
Initially, England encountered some resistance, laboriously navigating through a resolute Macedonian defence. However, the scenario transformed when captain Harry Kane netted his 57th international goal.
Kane’s pivotal moment came 29 minutes in, converting Luke Shaw’s cross at the far post, which triggered a scoring spree. Saka doubled the lead, capitalising on Kyle Walker’s pass after a further nine minutes. Marcus Rashford then increased the scoreline to three with a goal just before the half-time whistle, following Jordan Henderson’s selfless play.
The match’s highlight unfolded shortly into the second half when Saka expertly controlled Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pinpoint long pass and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot beyond Stole Dimitrievski, the Macedonian keeper.
Saka’s memorable hat-trick was completed after a swift break onto Kane’s through ball.
Saka's first career hatrick. What a gem! ⭐😍 pic.twitter.com/2byEzaCMc7
— Olayinka👷♂️🏗️ (@Olayinka_Ay) June 19, 2023
This prompted Southgate to introduce several substitutes, including Kalvin Phillips, who contributed with an effortless tap-in, increasing England’s lead to six.
Kane then added a second to his tally from the penalty spot, 17 minutes before the end, following a foul on John Stones. England’s offensive onslaught culminated in their most significant victory since overpowering San Marino 10-0 in November 2021, simultaneously handing North Macedonia their most substantial defeat.
North Macedonia v England – Latest Bookmaker Odds
Despite England’s rather disappointing performance on Friday, there will still be considerable betting interest in tonight’s game. Here are a few markets to consider.
| North Macedonia v England Full-Time Result | |
|---|---|
| Outcome | Odds |
| North Macedonia | 14/1 |
| Draw | 11/2 |
| England | 2/11 |
After being thumped in the first game, it’s no surprise that England is a heavy favourite with bookmakers to win. Despite playing away from home on a ‘shameful’ pitch, the Three Lions are priced at 2/11 with bet365. As England may well decide to experiment by giving game time to players such as Rico Lewis, the draw is available at 11/2. A home win is priced at a healthy 14/1.
Although anything but an England win would be a surprise, it’s worth mentioning Italy could only draw in North Macedonia, and Germany has lost against them in the last World Cup qualifiers.
“The pitch in North Macedonia was described as dangerous by the Italian team, but even under challenging conditions, England should have too much quality, and it would be a surprise if they need to get out of first gear. ” – Luke Andrews, Betting Expert – UK Market.
As you’d need to place £11 to see a £2 return, there are better markets to consider when football betting on the game.
| North Macedonia v England Total Goals Over/Under | ||
|---|---|---|
| Goal Line | Over | Under |
| 1.5 | 1/7 | 15/4 |
| 2.5 | 1/2 | 7/5 |
| 3.5 | 5/4 | 4/7 |
| 4.5 | 11/4 | 2/9 |
| 5.5 | 11/2 | 1/12 |
A better option is the Over/Under market. Although some England fans will be hoping for a repeat of the 7-0, I have doubts. Along with an almost unplayable pitch, England are missing Luke Shaw, Ben Chilwell, Jude Bellingham, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk, James Maddison, Callum Wilson, Jarrod Bowen and Kieran Trippier. Therefore, I’m leaning towards over 3.5 at 5/4.
| North Macedonia v England Correct Score | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odds | X | Odds | 2 | Odds |
| 1:0 | 33/1 | 0:0 | 16/1 | 0:1 | 13/2 |
| 2:0 | 80/1 | 1:1 | 12/1 | 0:2 | 5/1 |
| 2:1 | 40/1 | 2:2 | 25/1 | 1:2 | 8/1 |
| 3:0 | 150/1 | 3:3 | 80/1 | 0:3 | 11/2 |
With all things considered, I fancy England to win 0-4. Betiton are offering 9/1 for this scoreline.
North Macedonia v England in Group C kicks off at 19:45. The match will be televised live on Channel 4. The coverage is scheduled to commence at 7 pm. Additionally, viewers can access a live stream of the match through the Channel 4 website and app.
