Scotland – North Macedonia: the hosts seek redemption, while the visitors dream of ending their losing streak
This is a great opportunity for the hosts to please their supporters and improve their position in the standings, while the visitors will be desperate to finally end their disappointing run of results. The teams already met in October, when Scotland ran out 2-0 winners. North Macedonia will now try to get revenge, but doing so away from home will be no easy task.
The standings make for interesting reading: Scotland sit third in Group B1 with four points, while North Macedonia are bottom without a single point. Switzerland lead the group with 12 points, followed by Slovenia on seven. That makes victory essential for the hosts if they are to keep their hopes of promotion alive at the end of the group stage.
Scotland: the return of key players should help
Scotland head into the November international break after an inconsistent October. Pokonyoli's team have struggled to find stability, although they have produced some respectable football in certain matches.
Scotland opened their campaign in September with a goalless draw against Slovenia before losing 3-0 to Switzerland. October brought some improvement: the 2-0 win over North Macedonia was an important result, but it was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to Slovenia.
As a result, Scotland have one win, one draw and two defeats after four rounds. That record clearly falls short of the ambitions of a team hoping to fight its way back into the higher division.
There was some good news for the Scots ahead of the November fixtures, however. Scott McTominay has returned to the squad after recovering from a heart procedure. Che Adams is also available again after injury, which should strengthen the team's attacking options.
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Andy Robertson also deserves special attention. The captain has already reached 100 appearances for his national team and can now overtake Kenny Dalglish's record for the number of matches played for Scotland.
John McGinn, Ryan Christie and Billy Gilmour could play key roles in midfield. In attack, Kieron Bowie is an interesting option after scoring in the previous meeting with the Macedonians.
The hosts' main advantage lies in their cohesion and home support. At the same time, Pokonyoli understands perfectly well that motivation alone will not be enough: Scotland must improve their finishing and defensive reliability.
North Macedonia: still too many problems
The current Nations League campaign has been a complete disappointment for North Macedonia. After four rounds, the team have not earned a single point and sit bottom of the group. Moreover, the visitors have yet to score, while conceding 10 goals.
Their September start was disastrous, with defeats by Switzerland (0-3) and Slovenia (0-2). October brought no improvement. First, North Macedonia lost 0-2 to Scotland at home, before suffering another 0-3 defeat to Switzerland.
The lack of goals is particularly worrying. Goce Sedloski's team are having serious problems creating clear-cut chances, and against well-organized opponents they often have little to offer.
North Macedonia do possess some potential, though. Enis Bardhi remains one of the key players in midfield, while Elif Elmas can provide creativity and add a cutting edge in attack. Bojan Miovski is also worth highlighting, with more expected from him in the final third.
The problem is that the individual quality of certain players has so far not been enough to produce positive results. North Macedonia need to improve the connections between the lines and be far more proactive going forward.
The upcoming match in Glasgow will be a serious test for Sedloski.
Of course, the team have practically lost their chances of fighting for promotion, but the visitors will certainly not want to finish the group stage without a single point.
Head-to-head history and what to expect from the game?
The history between these national teams is not particularly extensive, but Scotland can claim a certain advantage. The most recent meeting took place on October 3, 2026, and ended in a 2-0 victory for Scotland.
Kieron Bowie opened the scoring in the seventh minute after a pass from Billy Gilmour, while John McGinn converted a penalty in the second half. North Macedonia never managed to find a response.
The same script could easily unfold again. Scotland will surely look to control proceedings, exploit the flanks and involve their central midfielders in attacks. McTominay and McGinn can add physical power to the team, while Adams' return gives them more options up front.
The visitors are likely to rely on a compact defense and quick counterattacks. But if North Macedonia concede early again, they will have to open up, which could create further problems.
The favorite here is fairly obvious. Scotland are playing at home, have a stronger squad and already beat this opponent in October. North Macedonia, meanwhile, currently look like one of the weakest teams in the group, particularly when their attacking potential is taken into account.
I do not expect the hosts to put on a goal-scoring spectacle. More likely, we will see a pragmatic game in which Scotland seek to seize the initiative and gradually see out a victory.
Our prediction: over 2.5 total goals.
