The second round of the Euro 2020 group stage is underway. In Group C, teams that started with losses will face off: Ukraine and North Macedonia. This is practically their last chance to grab a spot in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the match unfolds.
Pre-match outlook
Both Ukraine and North Macedonia have zero points so far. They lost their opening matches but still have a chance to advance to the knockout stage.
Ukraine’s situation looks slightly better. This is because their first game was against the favorite, the Netherlands. Meanwhile, North Macedonia lost to Austria and still has to face the Dutch.
Ukraine
The team put up a solid performance in their first match. As underdogs against the Netherlands, the Ukrainian players actively joined the attacks and made attempts to score. In fact, in the second half, they came back from 0:2 and were close to a draw, but conceded late.
Overall, the team left a positive impression. Much more positive than in the World Cup qualifiers in March this year. To recall, the Ukrainian national team drew three times, all with a 1:1 score.
A strong opening match has led to Ukraine being seen as the favorite against North Macedonia. The odds for a win are 1.73.
North Macedonia
The Macedonians played quite passively in the first half against Austria but managed to exchange goals. In the second half, their attacking push was even stronger, but only the Austrians scored. The match ended 1:3.
Despite the loss, North Macedonia showed they can put up a fight against tougher opponents.
Bookmakers don’t believe the team can show that same spirit again and earn points. A win for North Macedonia is priced at 5.80.
In general, there were reasons to expect success from North Macedonia before Euro 2020 started. For example, in the third round of World Cup qualifiers, they beat Germany 2:1.
Head-to-head meetings
The most recent head-to-head matches went in favor of Ukraine. In the 2014/2015 season, the teams were in the same Euro qualifying group. Ukraine won twice: 1:0 at home and 2:0 away. These were the only encounters in the last 15 years.
Match prediction
Overall, surprises could come from both teams. There’s little doubt that fans will see at least 2-3 goals. Who will score them? It’s up for debate. I think North Macedonia is capable of troubling their opponents at least once. As for Ukraine, there’s more faith they’ll score at least twice.
Prediction: Ukraine total goals over 1.5 at 1.85.
