Ezgjan Alioski’s late volley secured a crucial draw for North Macedonia against Belgium in their UEFA World Cup Qualifier. The match ended 1-1, with Alioski equalising in the 86th minute.
Both teams had early chances at Todor Proeski National Arena, but Nicolas Raskin and Alexis Saelemaekers missed opportunities within the first 20 minutes.
Maxim De Cuyper gave Belgium the lead just before the half-hour mark by capitalising on a rebound from Romelu Lukaku’s shot. North Macedonia responded energetically after halftime, with Bojan Ilievski scoring three minutes into the second half. However, his goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
The hosts continued to challenge Belgium’s defence, which appeared disorganised at times. Jeremy Doku remained a constant threat for Belgium, attempting to assist Raskin, whose shot hit the post. Despite Belgium’s efforts to secure a win, Darko Churlinov delivered an excellent cross in the final minutes, allowing Alioski to score with a powerful left-footed volley.
North Macedonia currently holds second place in Group J with five points from three matches. Meanwhile, Belgium is in fourth place after playing their first qualifying game. The match highlighted North Macedonia’s determination and ability to compete against strong opponents.
Belgium has maintained an impressive record of scoring in their last 20 World Cup qualifying matches, netting 70 goals during this period. Despite this consistency, they underperformed against North Macedonia with an expected goals (xG) value of 2.16 compared to their actual performance.
North Macedonia has also shown scoring prowess by finding the net in all three of their qualifiers so far. This marks their longest streak of scoring games since November 2021 to March 2022. They finished Friday’s match with an xG value of 1.29.
The encounter demonstrated both teams’ attacking capabilities and resilience under pressure. As the qualifiers progress, North Macedonia and Belgium will aim to improve their standings and secure spots in future rounds.