- Portugal hosts North Macedonia in the final game of their playoff path.
- Selecao was better than Turkey in the previous round, 3-1.
- North Macedonia made one of the biggest surprises of the entire qualifiers, eliminating Italy.
The Italian national team saw what happens when you underestimate North Macedonia. We are sure that Portugal won’t make the same mistake. Though, we are also sure that the guests have a massive swing right now, which could push them to play better than they normally do.
The stakes are high here, meaning that the pressure is extraordinary as well.
Portugal vs North Macedonia Schedule
- Where: Dragao Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal
- When: Tuesday, March 29, 3 pm ET
- How to Watch: ESPN
Portugal vs North Macedonia Odds
| Portugal | Draw | North Macedonia |
|---|---|---|
| -500 | +600 | +1100 |
Ronaldo Desperately Wants to Win
This will probably be the last World Cup cycle for Cristiano Ronaldo. Of course, knowing his mentality and physique, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him play for four more years. But still, he plays like it is the last one for him, and one of the greatest ever wants to reach Qatar and attack the trophy one more time.
After losing to Serbia at home in the last round of the qualifiers, Portugal bounced back to beat Turkey, 3-1. They had luck in the late stage of the game, because Burak Yilmaz missed a penalty to level the score at two-all.
Overall, Selecao plays well in Portugal, having six wins and only one loss in the previous seven events. Five triumphs came with at least two goals scored. Dragao is Porto’s stadium, and it is very, very noisy and hostile for any rival team.
North Macedonia’s Dream
Trajkovski stunned the Italians, sending a shot from a distance past the Donnarumma’s hands and right next to the post into the net. The Azzurri didn’t have any time to recover and erase this lead, suffering a sensational shock that saw them missing the second World Cup in a row.
But North Macedonia has a chance to find a spot in Qatar, shortly following EURO. It would be a historic achievement for this tinny country. They have four straight wins, five in the past six games, and three of these four are without a goal allowed.
They are a defense-first team, who tries to protect its own goal no matter the cost, and hopes to have some chance to strike from some set-piece or counter attacks.
Head to Head Games
There was only one meeting between these two sides in the past 10 years, back in 2012. Portugal and North Macedonia met in a friendly international, with the game ending without goals.
Portugal vs North Macedonia Prediction and Picks
The Portuguese team is a big favorite, and here is why. Italy’s attack is problematic when the rivals defend, while on the other hand, Selecao is the most dangerous in those situations. If you allow them to have possession of the ball and wait for counter-attacks, be sure that Ronaldo, Felix, Jota, and the guys are going to roll over you in no time. That is why we suggest betting on Portugal’s confident win.
Pick: Portugal -1.5
