North Macedonia vs Netherlands
European Championship this season
View moreOutcome Breakdown
Preview: North Macedonia vs Netherlands
As North Macedonia faces the formidable Netherlands at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the minnows cling to the hope of a miracle victory to stay afloat in Euro 2020, while the already-qualified Dutch aim to preserve their flawless form in Group C.
North Macedonia
The Lions were caged in a 2-1 defeat to Ukraine at the National Arena in Bucharest on Thursday, the 17th. Failing to roar, the Macedonians put up a tepid display, walking a tightrope throughout the game.
The back-line struggled during a corner kick, allowing an unmarked Andriy Yarmolenko (29’) to tap in from close range. Moments later, they found themselves trailing by two goals when Yarmolenko set up Roman Yaremchuk (34’) for Ukraine’s second goal.
The Macedonians had a chance to cut the deficit from the penalty spot. Ezgjan Alioski (57’) capitalized on a rebound after a great save by Ukrainian goalkeeper George Buschan. Later, a penalty was awarded again, but North Macedonia’s Dimitrievski made a fantastic save to maintain the 2-1 scoreline.
Tamed and without points after Match Day 2 (0W, 0D & 2L), North Macedonia sat at the bottom of Group C with a goal difference of -3. Igor Angelovski praised his team and is likely to return with a 3-4-1-2 formation on Monday.
Only a miracle against the Netherlands could keep them in contention, assuming Ukraine vs. Austria doesn't end in a draw. However, this is a far-fetched possibility given the Dutch team's impressive form. North Macedonia returns with a form of WWDDLL.
Netherlands
However, the Netherlands will return as group leaders on Match Day 3 after their emphatic 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday. The game saw Franco Foda’s side without the presence of Marko Arnautović, who was given a one-match suspension for insulting Ezgjan Alioski along ethnic lines in the game against North Macedonia on Match Day 1.
As expected, it was all about the Netherlands from the start. The orange shirts forced mistakes from the Austrian defense and eventually earned themselves a penalty. A wrong-footed David Alaba had caught Dumfries at the edge of the box, leading to the penalty.
The prolific Memphis Depay wasted no time as he took the set-piece at the penalty spot to put his team ahead. In control of the game, the Flying Dutchmen doubled their advantage minutes later when Donyell Malen unselfishly passed the ball to Dumfries, who scored despite the Austrian defense's hasty retreat.
The Netherlands now have 6 points with a goal difference of +3 after two wins out of two. They come into this fixture unbeaten in six games: WWDWWW, having already qualified for the next round. With their place secure in the knockout stage, we could see a few changes in Frank de Boer’s 3—5—2 formation on Monday.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.