Kazakhstan

vs

North Macedonia

Predictions & Betting Tips

North Macedonian momentum meets Kazakhstan’s pragmatism

There is no historical rivalry between these teams so the only storyline to focus on here is the qualification battle at the top of Group J. Our Kazakhstan vs North Macedonia prediction is influenced by Kazakhstan's solid start, taking three points from their two games, but North Macedonia have made an even stronger start and sit top of the group. Blagoja Milevski has overseen a strong start to this qualification campaign since he was appointed as head coach in August 2021. His side picked up a 1-0 win over Faroe Islands at home before recording a 3-0 win away to Liechtenstein. The 1-1 draw with Wales was a fair result, but Milevski will want his team to pick up all three here to stay top of the pile in this Kazakhstan vs North Macedonia prediction. Kazakhstan have looked solid, if unspectacular, in their opening games. They beat Curacao by two goals to nil at the Astana Arena, before losing 3-1 away to Wales and beating Liechtenstein 2-0 away. This Kazakhstan vs North Macedonia preview highlights Kazakhstan as a defensive-minded side, typically playing in a 4-2-3-1 or 5-4-1 formation, restricting the freedom of their forwards and looking to be compact and organised. North Macedonia are much more flexible in their approach, happy to play direct football, counterattack or press, depending on the opponent. That’s worked well for them so far and they should find plenty of joy against this similarly ranked opponent. They’ve converted their chances on the road, netting 3 goals in their only away match of the campaign. For those interested, Kazakhstan vs North Macedonia betting tips may favor North Macedonia's attacking flexibility.

North Macesdonia can nick it

Kazakhstan are in inconsistent form in all competitions, picking up two wins and three defeats from their last five outings. They have won one and lost one of their two home games so the Kazakhstan vs North Macedonia prediction here leans towards backing the visitors at a good price. North Macedonia are on a roll, picking up four wins and a draw from their previous five outings and they are unbeaten on away in this group so I’m confident they can edge what is likely to be a tight game. There is a strong case for taking both teams to score, however, as North Macedonia will have their moments on the counterattack while Kazakhstan are dangerous from set-pieces. Aleksandr Marochkin is the leading scorer in World Cup qualifying for Kazakhstan with one goal in two games, while Marat Bystrov is his main provider with one assist in two Group J games. North Macedonia’s Bojan Miovski has netted two goals in his two Group J appearances so he looks a likely candidate to score at any point on Monday.