England will look to continue their unbeaten run when they square up against North Macedonia in their final Euro Qualifier match.
North Macedonia are all set to host a star-studded England team as they look to secure their third win of the qualifiers. The home team might not have a chance of making it to the Euro 2024 in Germany, but they will try their best to end things on a high.
The home team have won only two out of their seven matches and are fourth in Group C of the Euro Qualifiers. They have suffered four defeats and are out of the race for a spot in the finals of the tournament.
North Macedonia are heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Italy. They did not really have much of the ball and could only create a handful of chances. The home team are not in the best of form but they will still hope to cause an upset when they host England.
The visitors were finalists in Euro 2020, unfortunately, but they ended up on the losing side. They will be hoping to do one better this time out. With six wins in their seven outings and 19 points to their name, England are top of the group and they have booked their ticket for the Euro 2024.
They are heading into this fixture on the back of an easy 2-0 win over Malta. It was not their best performances but they did dominate the proceedings and got the job done. The visitors will be hoping for something similar against Macedonia, and they do have the firepower needed to get past them with ease.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
North Macedonia
There are no fresh injury concerns for the home team. But North Macedonia are expected to make a few changes to the XI that started in their last game.
They will go ahead with the 3-4-3 formation, where Stole Dimitrievski will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Jovan Manev, Nikola Serafimov and Visar Musliu. The trio will look to keep out a star-studded England attack.
They will have the support of Ezgjan Alioski and Bojan Dimoski will feature as the wing-back. Jani Atanasov and Agon Elezi will feature in a more central role in the midfield. The duo will look to ensure they do not allow the English midfielders to dictate the pace of the game.
Elif Elmas and Milan Ristovski will provide the width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Enis Bardhi will leadi the line for North Macedonia against England.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Dimitrievski; Manev, Serafimov, Musliu; Dimoski, Atanasov, Elezi, Alioski; Ristovski, Bardhi, Elmas
England
Marcus Rashford picked up a knock in their last outing and is unlikely to take any part in this game. Apart from him, England do not have any fresh concerns.
Technique, Rico 👌 pic.twitter.com/pwZ3XbjaLi
— England (@England) November 18, 2023
Gareth Southgate is expected to go ahead with the tried and tested 4-3-3 formation, where Jordan Pickford will be in goal.
Kyle Walker and Rico Lewis will be the full-backs. The duo will look to join the attackers at every possible opportunity. In the heart of the defence, Marc Guehi will pair up with Harry Maguire. The duo will look for another clean sheet.
Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold will continue to feature as a central midfielder alongside Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips. The trio will look to control the possession of the ball and dictate the tempo of the game.
Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka will feature on the flanks and Bayern Munich’s star striker Harry Kane will feature up top.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Maguire, Lewis; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Phillips; Saka, Kane, Grealish
Key Stats
- England are unbeaten in the last seven games of the 2024 Euro qualifiers
- North Macedonia have lost four games out of seven in their EURO qualifying games so far
- In the reverse fixture, the Three Lions thrashed North Macedonia by 7-0 and should be looking to do the double over them
- Harry Kane has scored eight goals in the Euro Qualifiers so far.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The England skipper and Bayern Munich star striker is proving to be a difficult man to handle by the opposition defenders. In the last game against Malta, Kane scored in the 75th minute and he will be eager to add to his tally when he squares up against North Macedonia. His recent form for club and country suggests that he will add to the eight goals that he has already scored in the Euro 2024 Qualifiers.
Prediction
North Macedonia 0-4 England
It is hard to bet against the Three Lions right now. England entered the November international break having already qualified in October. They now have an opportunity to end Group C with a high of 22 points.
North Macedonia know their chances of qualifying are nil but they might utilise this game to try things out. Given the form and calibre of players, Harry Kane and Co should triumph comfortably. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the visitors.
