Austria hosts North Macedonia in round 9 of Euro qualification. The match will be played on Saturday, November 16th at Ernst Happel Stadion (Vienna)
The Austrians just need a draw in this match, and then they will guarantee promotion to EURO 2020. The Austrian team is quite pragmatic, and this team, choosing between entertainment and efficiency, will definitely choose efficiency. The men of Franco Foda are unlikely to work like dogs in a match where they will be pleased with even one point and the opponents are far from the easiest team. The Austrians will try to show a calm game for the result and nothing more. The Austrian style is the victories with a 1-0 score. Yes, there were much more powerful victories in the current qualification (6-0 over the Latvians, and by the way, 4-1 over the Macedonians). But, firstly, Latvians have turned into full-fledged football dwarfs, and to beat them with a 6-0 score is normal. The 4-1 victory over the Macedonians at the beginning of the qualification came as a surprise, but it is unlikely that there will be anything similar to that score in the upcoming match. All the same, the result is in the first place for the Austrians, and they should not have a big impulse to defeat a strong middle peasant.
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Qualification is going quite well for Macedonians. Yes, their chances of second place in the group are almost nil. Still, they have such two rounds before the end of the qualification! And recalling many previous qualifications performed by the Macedonians, this one looks very solid. The team is five points behind the second place (it is on the third line). We can state the fact that the opportunities of the Macedonians are quite low. They lost to the Poles twice (0-1 and 0-2) and lost to the Austrians with a 1-4 score. Actually, these three matches were the main ones in the current qualification. But on the other hand, Macedonia fought very well with the Poles, and it was were close to a draw in the match with the Red-Whites. As I said, it is definitely a success for the Macedonians in comparison with previous qualifications. They lead a stubborn struggle for a ticket almost to the very end of the qualification!
Yes, the Austrians are the favorites - experience, class, everything is on their side. But if you choose between a- 2 handicap for the Austrians and a +2 handicap for the Macedonians, I will probably choose the second option. The Austrians will surely focus on defense and ball possession, and a 1-0 victory will suit them perfectly. And who knows, maybe a draw will turn out. So, I chose the option: a +2 handicap of Macedonia.
Prediction for the match: North Macedonia to win with +2.0 handicap
