Competition: World Cup Qualifiers
Market: North Macedonia win
Odds: 2/5 @ 1xBet
Knowing that they can take a giant leap towards booking an iconic top-two finish in Group J, North Macedonia will welcome Kazakhstan to Skopje on Monday night.
Starting with the hosts, last seen over the weekend putting in another famous display as they snatched a 0-0 stalemate away at European giants Belgium, North Macedonia are in the midst of what has become a record-breaking qualifying romp. In fact, putting 12 points on the board from their six appearances this year, Blagoja Milevski’s camp open Monday’s showdown leading the chase at the top of the Group J standings. With the mood in their camp at an iconic high, the Lions will certainly be smelling a golden opportunity here. Signing off September’s break with a routine 5-0 romp at home against Liechtenstein, the Reds have rightfully received a string of plaudits from across the continent. Unbeaten in all of their six qualifying showdowns and pencilled in as a standout contender here, North Macedonia have also gained a reputation for their defensive steel. Including a 1-0 win when they travelled to Astana for their reverse Group J battle on September 6th, Milevski’s camp have not shipped a single strike in almost 350 minutes of action.
As for the visitors, while Kazakhstan might have claimed a much-welcomed boost over the weekend as they clinched an expected 4-0 win at home against Liechtenstein, that result doesn’t cover what has been another nightmare qualifying adventure this year. Signing off September’s international break with a 6-0 drumming at the hands of Belgium, the Hawks have lost each of their other three Group J appearances and they have already watched their qualifying dreams go up in smoke. Getting proceedings underway with a 3-1 defeat against Wales back in March, Monday’s guests have also gained a continued reputation for their glaring issues on the road. Including a 4-1 friendly loss against Belarus over the summer, Kazakhstan has seen his squad lose 11 of their previous 12 matchups on foreign soil – a run that stems all the way back to October 2023. It should also be highlighted, the Hawks have shipped 39 goals in those 12 consecutive matchups away from the Astana Arena.
Bet: North Macedonia 2/5 to beat Kazakhstan in Monday’s World Cup qualifying matchup @ 1xBet