Euro 2024. Qualification Predictions: Italy – North Macedonia, Poland – Czech Republic, Netherlands – Ireland

Italy vs North Macedonia Prediction and odds

Pick: Draw
Odds: +685 (Tonybet)

Italy is facing a crisis as key midfielder Sandro Tonali, along with Fagioli, has been banned from playing in Italy due to a betting scandal. The Italian federation’s rules strictly prohibit players from betting, and violating these rules has resulted in their ban. Italy’s qualification for the next European Championship is on shaky ground, and the upcoming game against Macedonia could decide the fate of the Italians’ qualification for the next Euros. Only the first two of each group qualify, and Italy currently stands in third place with 10 pts — three points behind Ukraine and six points behind England, who are the group leaders. They recently suffered a 1-3 defeat against England, with a rather unpleasant midfield to watch.

The game against Macedonia announces itself as the easiest on paper, which would assume the bet would’ve turned towards a victory. However, Italy failed to secure a victory in their last three matches, and you’d have to go back to 2016 to find the last Italian victory against Northern Macedonia. As such, a draw is probably a fairer bet — Italy needs a victory, but without key midfielders (such as Tonali), breaking past the Macedonian block sounds like a Herculean task.

The final rounds of #EuropeanQualifiers sees defending champion Italy needing a strong finish to clinch a spot at the tournament, while Albania and Slovenia can secure surprising group victories.
Which other countries could be surprise qualifiers? #soccer #UEFAEuro2024 pic.twitter.com/est7HVtNmB
— TonyBet Canada (@TonyBet_Canada) November 14, 2023

Italy vs North Macedonia Betting Tips

Pick: Both teams to score
Odds: +172 (Tonybet)

The upcoming game between Italy and Macedonia is expected to be intense. Macedonia often makes it difficult for bigger nations to win (such as the 2-3 defeat v Ukraine), while Italy’s biggest weakness is playing to Macedonia’s strengths through the middle. Given the history between these two teams, where matches have never ended goalless, there are strong reasons to anticipate goals in this encounter.

Poland vs Czech Republic Prediction and odds

Pick: Czech Republic to win
Odds: +213 (Tonybet)

As unattractive as this neighbour-encounter might sound, this is one of the most competitive and tense groups of the Euros. Albania stands in the first spot with 13 pts, but the Czech Republic (11 pts) and Poland (10pts) have all the chances to qualify themselves, and much of it depends on the outcome of this encounter. Moldova and the Faroe Islands represent no threat, so this pretty much becomes the de-facto decider for who gets free tickets to the Euros.

With Tomáš Souček spearheading their midfield, the Czechs have shown much better form than the Poles. Their only recent loss was against Albania, and before that, their last defeat was a year ago against Turkey. They might not make the headlines, but they’re a very solid unit. The same can’t be said of Poland, which still struggles to find any sort of meaningful idea in its sporting project.

Poland vs Czech Republic Betting Tips

Pick: Less than 2 goals
Odds: +125 (Tonybet)

In the last few years, Polish football has largely been a disappointment. After the World Cup, the federation unexpectedly hired Ex-Portugal manager Fernando Santos, who was sacked after only three matches following disastrous performances against Albania and Moldova. Since taking over, Probierz has made noticeable improvements to the team, but it remains styleless and, therefore, tasteless. There’s little doubt that Soucek’s men, along with Coufal, are the favourites in this clash, with a more refined style and confidence.

Netherlands vs Ireland Prediction and odds

Pick: Netherlands to win
Odds: -125 (Tonybet)

For Ireland, this match means very little. At six points, they’re before-last while their next opponent is at twelve points, making it practically impossible for Ireland to advance in the Euro qualifications. Only Gibraltar has a worse record in the group.

For the Netherlands, the outcomes vary significantly: a victory or a draw would secure their spot in the Euros, while a loss could relegate them to the less favourable European play-offs. After the disappointment in the Nations League (losses v Italy and Croatia), this is unquestionably a must-win before the Euros. The Dutch victory against Greece (1-0) might have brought hopes back home, but the ‘how’ unquestionably brought further doubts on Koeman’s ability to manage this group.

Netherlands vs Ireland Betting Tips

Pick: Netherlands to win by a 3 goals+ margin
Odds: +145 (Tonybet)

Several factors lead us to think the Netherlands will have a blast, notably the emergence of advanced midfielder Xavi Simons, who’s been having the time of his life in Leipzig and has also significantly impacted the national team. Furthermore, Virgil van Dijk’s solid performance is a key factor, suggesting that the Dutch team will reassert dominance against its opponent.

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