North Macedonia will clash with Armenia in the World Cup Qualifiers this Thursday in what is their first game since losing all three fixtures at Euro 2020.
They will be in desperate need to pick up three points to give their World Cup dreams some life after Germany’s stumble in Group J.
Two more days⏳Are we're ready to rock🎸#Armenia #ARM #ArmenianNT #Հայաստան #EuropeanQualifiers #MKDARM🇲🇰🇦🇲 pic.twitter.com/KfADKzmpXM— Official Armenian FF (@OfficialArmFF) August 31, 2021
Two more days⏳Are we're ready to rock🎸#Armenia #ARM #ArmenianNT #Հայաստան #EuropeanQualifiers #MKDARM🇲🇰🇦🇲 pic.twitter.com/KfADKzmpXM
Heading into the clash, although the Germans are the heavy favourites to eventually top the group, North Macedonia currently sit ahead of them on goal difference and a win over table-topping Armenia would catapult them to the top of Group J.
This comes following that incredible win over the 2014 World Cup winners, where Goran Pandev and co. won 2-1 in Berlin in what was arguably their greatest ever win on the national stage, as Pandev and Elif Elmas netted in an extraordinary victory.
Sadly for North Macedonia, the great Pandev has now hung up his boots and following three defeats from three at Euro 2020, the nation currently have a whole bunch of issues to deal with and a loss here could spell tragedy over the coming week and see their World Cup dreams slip away.
As for Armenia, they enter this game both top of the table following three wins from three in Group J and a relaxing summer as they never made it to the European Championships.
In fact, outside of losing to Sweden in their last game back in June, Armenia are in spectacular form and with a win here, they can seriously start to dream of potentially making it to the World Cup, although there is a long way to go.
The nation have triumphed over Romania, Iceland and Liechtenstein so far in these World Cup Qualifiers, while they also lost just one of their six Nations League games, which ironically, came at the hands of North Macedonia.
Both sides clashed back in September 2020 to kick their Nations League campaigns off in what was the first set of international games since the pandemic began. North Macedonia would win 2-1 with Tigran Barseghyan scoring in injury time as a consolation goal for Armenia.
Armenia would, however, triumph in the return fixture where Hovhannes Hambardzumyan scored the game’s only goal two months on from defeat to North Macedonia.
Given the importance of this one and the form of both sides, a higher scoring draw is expected with over 2.5 goals as both sides look to ramp up their World Cup dreams.