Denmark vs North Macedonia
Denmark will host North Macedonia at the Parken Stadium on Thursday evening for the semi-finals of their World Cup 2026 UEFA qualifiers in Path D of the play-offs, and this is their last chance to make it to the big dance after they botched their first opportunity.
Brian Riemer’s men should’ve already qualified for the quadrennial tournament if it weren’t for Scotland’s resurgence in Group C. With three wins, two draws, and one loss, Denmark barely missed out on the top spot with 11 points, and here they are.
North Macedonia are also in the play-offs after finishing third in Group J with 13 points, and Goce Sedloski’s men have fond memories of play-off ties as they dream of their first-ever World Cup appearance.
While Denmark are the heavy favourites, North Macedonia have shown in the past that they’re not pushovers in the play-offs, making this a must-watch game.
Talking Points
Hojlund’s time to shine in Denmark
Denmark have quality oozing in their squad, as most of their stars play in Europe’s Top 5 leagues, including five in the Premier League and four in Serie A. North Macedonia’s backline will certainly have their eyes on Rasmus Hojlund, who figures to be the Danes’ main attacking threat this midweek.
After a rollercoaster season with Manchester United, Hojlund has found a new home at Napoli, where he’s the leading scorer with 10 league goals and two assists. The 23-year-old striker has also impressed in Denmark’s qualification run, registering five goals in as many games, a total higher than any other player in Group C. Backing Hojlund up are Gustav Isaksen, Jesper Lindstrom, Kasper Hogh, and William Osula.
Denmark are also strong in the middle of the park, with Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Christian Norgaard, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Morten Hjulmand as their top options. Joachim Andersen, Alexander Bah, and Joakim Maehle are among those tasked with guarding the backline and providing cover for goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who has taken the No. 1 job at West Ham United this term.
North Macedonia tend to play on the back foot
North Macedonia’s defence will be busy trying to keep Denmark’s attack at bay this Thursday, which has been the case in the past few matches. Save for their embarrassing 7-1 loss to Wales last November, they have only conceded one goal in their past four matches.
This will be the first real test for Goce Sedloski, who was appointed head coach last January. Fortunately for him, he inherits a fairly decent squad, with Ezgjan Alioski, Stole Dimitrievski, Enis Bardhi, Eljif Elmas, and Bojan Miovski as his core players. Miovski has been the Lions’ good luck charm, as just one of his nine goal-scoring appearances ended in a loss (W6, D2). Meanwhile, Elmas certainly has a clue about how to slow Hojlund down, as they’re teammates in Napoli.
History
Thursday marks only the fourth competitive meeting between Denmark and North Macedonia, and their head-to-head is perfectly split with one win for each team and one draw. The Lions won 3-0 in their last encounter in an international friendly in 2013.
Denmark may have heightened belief that they can reach Tuesday’s final, as they’ve lost only one of their last 20 home games (W16, D3). The Danes have been involved in the play-off rounds twice before and progressed to the main tournament in both, most recently beating the Republic of Ireland 5-1 on aggregate in 2022.
North Macedonia have only reached the play-off round once before, eliminating Italy in 2022 before losing to Portugal in the final. Should they progress past Denmark, the Lions will face the winner of the other game between Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland.
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds favour Denmark to dispatch North Macedonia this Thursday, putting them one step closer to the finals this summer. The Danes are 1.28 favourites to advance, while the Lions are massive 8.20 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.99 in the 1X2 market.
Denmark will be eager to create new World Cup 2026 highlights in front of their home crowd this midweek, and they should do that against North Macedonia. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors may also add Over 2.50 at 1.72, Over 2.75 at 1.94, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.03 to the parlay. However, if you fancy an upset for North Macedonia, check out the Correct Score of 3-0 in their favour – the result of their last meeting – given its mouthwatering long-shot offer of 225.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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