Wales and North Macedonia head into their final World Cup qualifying group game with everything to play for in a winner-takes-all clash in Cardiff.
With both sides tied on 13 points in Group J, one will finish second and head to the play-offs in March. The Macedonians, though, only need a point due to their superior goal difference.
Here is everything you need to know about the decisive qualifier.
Wales vs North Macedonia – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 18th November.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff.
Wales team news
Craig Bellamy’s squad has been hit by suspensions following their 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein on Saturday. Jordan James and Ethan Ampadu both picked up bookings in that match, ruling them out of the North Macedonia fixture. Ben Davies remains sidelined through injury, while Aaron Ramsey continues his absence from the squad.
Despite the personnel issues, Bellamy has named Harry Wilson as captain for the clash in Cardiff. The 28-year-old Fulham forward will lead his country for the first time while winning his 67th cap. Wilson expressed his honour at the opportunity: “Everyone would much rather Ben and Ethan were playing, because we know what important players they are for us. But with Ben’s injury and Ethan’s unfortunate yellow, it gave an opportunity for someone else to be captain and it’s a big honour for me. I’m one of the senior players now and this is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time”.
The Dragons arrived in Vaduz on Saturday with Joe Rodon, Dan James, and Neco Williams all one booking away from suspension, but managed to navigate the encounter.
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North Macedonia team news
Blagoja Milevski’s unbeaten North Macedonia side are on an impressive run, remaining undefeated in 14 of their last 15 matches across all competitions. The squad has been affected by injuries to key defenders Visar Musliu and Ezgjan Alioski, along with midfielder Agon Elezi.
North Macedonia used their friendly against Latvia last Thursday to rotate the squad, with the sides playing out a 0-0 draw at the Nacional Arena Todor Proeski. This strategic preparation has given Milevski’s side two extra days to fine-tune their tactics ahead of the decisive clash.
The standout star for North Macedonia is Bojan Miovski, the Rangers striker who scored the crucial away goal in their 1-1 draw with Wales in Skopje back in March. Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas provides creativity in midfield for the visitors.
Form
Wales
Craig Bellamy’s side squeezed past Liechtenstein 1-0 in their penultimate qualifier, with the performance highlighting Wales’ current struggles in finding clinical finishing. Jordan James’ tap-in in the 61st minute proved decisive after Wales dominated possession with 77.4% but managed just seven shots on target from 18 attempts.
North Macedonia
Blagoja Milevski’s North Macedonia remain unbeaten in qualifying with three wins and four draws from their opening seven matches. Their most recent outing saw them rotate heavily against Latvia in a friendly, with Milevski’s rotation strategy reflecting confidence in his squad’s depth. Despite playing as underdogs throughout the qualifying campaign, North Macedonia have picked up impressive draws against Belgium – including a 1-1 away result.
Predicted lineups
Wales: Darlow; Williams, Rodon, Lawlor, Dasilva; Sheehan; Johnson, Wilson, Brooks, D. James; Harris
North Macedonia: Dimitrievski; Ilievski, Serafimov, Stojchevski, Ashkovski; Kostadinov, Alimi, Bardhi; Ristovski, Trajkovski, Churlinov
How to watch Wales vs North Macedonia?
UK and Welsh viewers can watch the match live on BBC One Wales and BBC Three.
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