In-form North Macedonia kick off their very first major tournament against Austria who are looking to leave their mark in this competition.
European Championship 2020
Date: 13/05/2021
Kickoff: 17:00
Venue: National Arena Bucharest
Austria are playing in only their third European Championship and will be looking for a victory at a major tournament, something they haven’t achieved since the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Starting off their campaign against debutants North Macedonia, they’ll more than fancy their chances to end that run.
Having drawn 0-0 with Slovakia in their last warm-up game leading up to this one, Austria are not in the best of form heading into this summer’s tournament but they are still odds on to beat their opponents on Sunday.
North Macedonia are making their debut appearance as an independent nation since the now-defunct Yugoslavia, and not much is expected of them from the general public but their fans and players alike could be feeling differently.
Unbeaten in their last four, one of which includes a dramatic 2-1 over 2014 world champions Germany, the Macedonians will be confident about their chances up against Austria, and a win will in turn boost their chances of snatching a qualification place into the round of 16.
Pandev is the most famous player in the squad and he captains the side. The 37-year-old forward played for Inter Milan, Lazio and Napoli in his prime but is now past his best. However, Pandev is still a threat for the Macedonians and will be looking to impress in what will be his first and likely last major international tournament.
Team news
Austria
Marko Arnautovic, Marcel Sabitzer, Julian Baumgartlinger and David Alaba make up this enterprising Austria side, thus giving Franco Foda some very interesting names to pick.
North Macedonia
Pandev is the team’s leader, maybe the only notable name amongst an unknown quantity group.
Team form
Austria’s last five games: DWLLD
North Macedonia’s last five games: LWWDW
Match stats
Austria are unbeaten against North Macedonia, winning their only two encounters (4-1 and 2-1).
North Macedonia have lost just once this year (W4 D1).
Betting tips
These two countries have only met twice in history with both games happening in 2019, and on both occasions, Austria won and both teams scored.
Austria have only won one of their last six internationals and three of those games ended with both teams scoring. Both teams have also scored in three of North Macedonia’s last five fixtures and they have lost two of their last three games outside of Macedonia. We’re snapping up both teams to find the back of the net at odds of 6/5.
You can view all other betting markets for this game here
Odds subject to change – 18+|BeGambleAware.org – Please gamble responsibly
