North macedonia euro 2020 preview - prediction, fixtures, squad, megastar participant
ahead of this summer season's euro 2020 match, sports mole assesses the chances of north macedonia, who're competing of their first ever principal event. For the primary time of their 27-yr history, north macedonia will take part in a main event this summer time when they compete on europe's biggest level at euro 2020. After attaining independence in 1991, amid the fragmentation of the former yugoslavia, the nation have in view that adopted new nomenclature, converting their name in february 2019 from the previous yugoslav republic of macedonia (fyrom), to the republic of north macedonia. This diplomatic change befell simply earlier than their euro 2020 qualification marketing campaign began, with leeds united's ezgjan alioski scoring the primary aggressive intention below their new identity in a 3-1 win over latvia in march 2019. North macedonia's elif elmas celebrates scoring their first intention with teammates on june 1, 2021© reuters
north macedonia's squad is a few of the maximum extensively scattered at this 12 months's match, with gamers representing clubs in armenia, belgium, croatia, england, estonia, georgia, greece, italy, kosovo, portugal, serbia and spain. Even though there's masses of positivity heading into the event, off-field problems remain a purpose for situation. Scandals surrounding the state's football federation, president muamed sejdini and supervisor igor angelovski have spiralled into public struggle, whilst the debatable colouring in their new package – which has because been rejected with the aid of uefa and modified – angered supporters. Despite those problems, the purple lynxes could be hoping they can leave their mark on the delayed euro 2020 finals, with their population of simply underneath three million cheering them on lower back home. Right here, sports mole affords an in-intensity evaluation of north macedonia's possibilities at euro 2020. Group despite the fact that north macedonia certified as a fourth seeded team for euro 2020, the draw turned into seemingly kind as their group could have been tougher. They may be joined in organization c with 1998 winners the netherlands in addition to ukraine and austria. Euros institution 사설토토
The pink lynxes are already acquainted with austria, having confronted them two times for the duration of their qualification marketing campaign, even though they lost on each occasions. But, north macedonia might be less familiar with both the netherlands and ukraine, who they've simplest faced 4 instances every, prevailing just once in opposition to the latter in march 2004. Angelovski's side are rank outsiders to progress from group c, however if they can cause one or two upsets, then they may be in with a danger of securing one of the four pleasant 1/3-positioned positions up for grabs. Furnishings
june 13: austria vs. North macedonia (5pm, national area, bucharest)june 17: ukraine vs. North macedonia (2pm, national arena, bucharest)june 21: north macedonia vs. Netherlands (5pm, amsterdam area, amsterdam)
how they certified
north macedonia had been drawn in a tough qualification organization g together with poland, austria, slovenia, israel and latvia and were not taken into consideration as one of the favourites to progress. The purple lynxes claimed four factors from their beginning furnishings, beating latvia three-1 of their first sport earlier than drawing 1-1 away in slovenia. They then suffered successive defeats, losing 1-zero to eventual group winners poland and 4-1 at domestic to austria, which proved to be their heaviest defeat of the qualification campaign. Later came three critical outcomes wherein they amassed seven points, drawing 1-1 with israel earlier than triumphing 2-zero and a couple of-1 in respective opposite fixtures with latvia and slovenia. Defeats to poland and austria again placed their hopes of development within the balance, however a slim 1-zero victory over israel of their very last fit proved decisive, as a advanced head-to-head file gave north macedonia the advantage of 1/3 vicinity, leaving slovenia – with the same number of points (14) – in fourth. North macedonia train igor angelovski celebrates with players after qualifying for euro 2020 in november 2020© reuters
angelovski's side neglected out on a top- location in institution g, finishing 5 points behind austria in second. However, a similarly opportunity to qualify for euro 2020 became provided through their fulfillment within the 2018-19 international locations league. They completed pinnacle of league d organization four, selling them to a higher group and also handing them a place inside the euro 2020 playoffs. North macedonia competed in direction d of the playoffs, triumphing their semi-very last conflict 2-1 against kosovo, way to benjamin kololli's personal goal and a 33rd minute header from darko velkovski, his first and most effective worldwide purpose so far. Their playoff very last, which became held in tbilisi in opposition to georgia, ended with veteran forward goran pandev scoring the only aim as the visitors secured a slender 1-0 victory, sending them thru to their first ever principal tournament. Current form
north macedonia head into euro 2020 having lost simplest in their final 10 international matches across all competitions. A powerful 5-zero global cup qualifier victory in opposition to minnows liechtenstein on march 28, turned into observed through a ancient 2-1 triumph away at 4-time global champions and 3-time european victors germany three days later, with napoli's eljif elmas scoring a dramatic 85th minute winner. Macedonia's gamers celebrates after prevailing their sport in opposition to kazakhstan on june four, 2021© reuters
north macedonia extended their unbeaten run to four matches, with a 1-1 draw in opposition to slovenia and then a four-zero victory at home to kazakhstan of their final warm-up games this month, before their establishing fixture of the event this sunday. Angelovski's guys have verified they have got an attacking hazard in the final third, scoring in 14 of their last 15 worldwide games, locating the internet at least twice in 8 of those fits. Squad
north macedonia players pictured on june 1, 2021© reuters
goalkeepers: stole dimitrievski (rayo vallecano), damjan siskovski (doxa), risto jankov (rabotnichki)
defenders: stefan ristovski (dinamo zagreb), kire ristevski (ujpest), gjoko zajkov (charleroi), ezgjan alioski (leeds united), visar musliu (fehervar), darko velkovski (rijeka), egzon bejtulai (shkendija)
midfielders: ferhan hasani (partizani), stefan spirovski (aek), enis bardhi (levante), boban nikolov (lecce), tihomir kostadinov (ruzomberok), eljif elmas (napoli), arijan ademi (dinamo zagreb), darko curlinov (stuttgart), marjan radeski (akademija pandev), daniel avramovski (kayserispor)
forwards: goran pandev (genoa), aleksandar trajkovski (mallorca), krste velkoski (sarajevo), vlatko stojanovski (chambly), ivan trickovski (aek larnaca), milan ristovski (spartak trnava)
big name participant – goran pandev
north macedonia's goran pandev pictured on june 1, 2021© reuters
at the age of 37, goran pandev may be main north macedonia as captain at euro 2020, and his experience and pedigree at the best level will be useful for angelovski's facet this summer. The forward has played nearly all of his career in italy with inter milan, lazio, napoli and present day membership genoa, apart from a short spell with turkish outfit galatasaray. Pandev has loved a trophy-laden membership profession, triumphing serie a, coppa italia and supercoppa italiana in addition to the most important club prizes of all, the champions league and fifa club world cup with inter in 2010. The 4-time north macedonia footballer of the 12 months is likewise the kingdom's maximum capped player (119) and maximum goalscorer with 37 moves to his call, establishing himself as one of the u . S .'s best gamers of all time. Pandev further better his recognition as a country wide hero after he made his one hundredth global look against latvia in march 2019, while he auctioned his match shirt to elevate funds for a sanatorium preventing the coronavirus pandemic. Manager – igor angelovski
north macedonia supervisor igor angelovski on march 31, 2021© reuters
igor angelovski has the honor of coaching north macedonia at their first major event, and even though he takes the reins of a country with out a expectations to be successful, the forty four-12 months-old is keen to prove his aspect aren't simply here to make up the numbers. Angelovski began his education career as a 36-12 months-vintage in 2013 with north macedonian facet rabotnicki. After triumphing the league name and domestic cups, he then moved to the countrywide group, first as an assistant earlier than changing ljubinko drulovic as manager in october 2015. Due to the fact that his appointment, north macedonia's fortunes have converted on the international stage. Despite the fact that they didn't qualify for the 2018 global cup, the red lynxes received 3 in their qualifying matches, the maximum they've controlled inside the final 23 years. Angelovski changed into additionally capable of manual them to the summit of league d group 4 of the international locations league in 2018-19, before completing 2d in league c organization 2 in 2020, with simply one defeat from six games. The skopje native, who has never managed outdoor of north macedonia, is a popular figure with the countrywide team and will elevate his stature in the sport to new heights if he can guide the purple lynxes via to the knockout degree.