Slovenia vs North Macedonia Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Slovenia

vs

North Macedonia

KickoffTuesday 29 September 2026, 7:45pm

VenueStadion Stožice

CompetitionUEFA Nations League

Slovenia have had a slow start to this Nations League campaign and Bostjan Cesar knows it. A goalless draw at home to Scotland in the opening fixture is not the kind of result that gets a new head coach off to a flying start, and with North Macedonia arriving as the next visitors to Stozice Stadium, this is exactly the sort of game where Slovenia need to turn good defensive habits into three points. Get the win here and they could move to the top of League B Group 1. Fail to take it and the pressure on Cesar builds very quickly indeed.

North Macedonia are in a desperate place right now. Eight games without a win, five without scoring, and a 3-0 hammering against Switzerland to open this campaign. The noise around Goce Sedloski’s squad at the moment is not good, and while they did earn promotion from League C in the last edition of this competition, that form feels a very long time ago. Something has to give, and Slovenia at home looks like a tough place to rediscover your scoring touch.

Slovenia vs North Macedonia Match Details

This fixture takes place at the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana, as Slovenia host their Group 1 rivals in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League League B. It is only the second game of the campaign for both sides, which means every point carries serious weight early in the group standings.

Team News

Slovenia have one confirmed absentee heading into this one, while there is also a notable question mark over their attacking options. North Macedonia come through their opener without fresh injury problems but may still shuffle the pack after that chastening defeat.

• Vanja Drkusic picked up an injury in the Scotland draw and will miss this one. David Zec is the most likely name to slot in at the back in his place.
• Andraz Sporar is a doubt for Slovenia. If he does not make it, Zan Vipotnik of Swansea City is the likely option to lead the line.
• Jan Oblak is fit and set to win his 86th cap, and on the strength of his performance against Scotland, he remains absolutely crucial to this side.
• Enis Bardhi captains North Macedonia and is expected to play, with this set to be his 84th international appearance.
• Stole Dimitrievski continues in goal for the visitors and is closing in on 100 caps for his country.

Predicted Lineups

Cesar does not have many selection headaches beyond the Drkusic absence and the Sporar doubt. The back line is likely to see Zec come in, with the rest of the defensive shape staying largely intact. Oblak is the foundation everything else is built on, and that is not changing. In attack, Vipotnik could get the nod if Sporar does not pass fit, but the system around him should remain familiar.

Slovenia predicted lineup: Oblak; Karnicnik, Brekalo, Bijol, Zec, Janza; Matko, Cerin, Elsnik, Sturm; Sporar (or Vipotnik)

North Macedonia predicted lineup: Dimitrievski; Ilievski, Zajkov, Musliu, Herrera; Kostadinov, Gastarov, Bardhi, Elmas; Miovski, Rastoder

Sedloski might be tempted to shake things up after the Switzerland defeat, but with limited options and a squad that has been in poor form regardless of personnel, the starting eleven could look fairly similar to what we saw in the opener.

Recent Form

Slovenia’s recent record in 2026 makes for uncomfortable reading. One win from five games is not the kind of return Cesar would have been hoping for when he took the job, and the Scotland draw highlighted the team’s biggest problem going forward which is a genuine struggle to create and convert chances. One shot on target in a home game is poor by any measure, even if the clean sheet at the other end offered a small crumb of comfort. That was actually Slovenia’s first shutout since October 2025, which tells its own story about the defensive vulnerability they have been dealing with in recent months.

North Macedonia’s numbers are frankly alarming. Eight games without a win. Five games without a goal. And in their last four defeats they have shipped 16 goals, conceding at least three in every single one of those losses. The Switzerland game followed that exact pattern. What makes it even more puzzling is that they did manage back to back goalless draws against Republic of Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier in the year, which shows the defensive structure can hold firm when conditions are right. The problem is that those results were achieved against sides in similar form, and Slovenia at home, even a Slovenia side still finding its feet, is a different kind of test.

The contrast in momentum here is stark. Slovenia are frustrated but defensively organised. North Macedonia are fragile, goalless and carrying real psychological baggage into this fixture.

Head-to-Head Record

This is where it gets slightly more interesting for North Macedonia fans looking for reasons to be optimistic. The visitors have actually gone unbeaten in their last three meetings with Slovenia, which is a run worth noting even if their recent form elsewhere makes it hard to believe they can extend it here. That said, historical head to head numbers have a habit of going out the window when one team is running on empty and the other is playing at home with something to prove.

The venues and contexts of those previous meetings will have varied, but the fact remains that North Macedonia know they can get something from this fixture. Whether they have the personnel and the confidence to repeat the trick right now is a very different question.

Key Stats

• North Macedonia have not scored in five consecutive games, with their last goal coming in a 7-1 defeat to Wales.
• Slovenia kept their first clean sheet since October 2025 against Scotland, suggesting the defensive unit is starting to find some shape under Cesar.
• North Macedonia have conceded 16 goals across their last four defeats, shipping a minimum of three per game in each one.

Slovenia vs North Macedonia Betting Tips

The angle here is fairly clear. Slovenia are at home, they need the win, they are defensively solid, and they are facing a North Macedonia side that has not found the net in five straight games. Cesar’s team may not be setting the world alight going forward, but they should have enough quality against this visitors to nick a couple of goals and see the game out without too much drama.

First Goalscorer Prediction

If Andraz Sporar shakes off his doubt and starts, he is the obvious pick given his experience and goal threat at international level. If he does not make it, Zan Vipotnik is a lively option from Swansea who will be hungry to impress in a game Slovenia are expected to control. Vipotnik to open the scoring at a decent price is worth a look if Sporar is ruled out closer to kickoff.

Cards Prediction

North Macedonia are a side under pressure and chasing the game, which tends to bring out the cynical fouls and the frustrated challenges. With Slovenia likely to dominate large periods and probe for openings, expect the visitors to accumulate a card or two as they try to disrupt the home side’s rhythm. Over three and a half cards looks a reasonable shout in a game where one team has everything to prove and the other has the discipline to play on the front foot.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

No on BTTS. North Macedonia have not scored in five games and there is very little in their recent performances to suggest that run ends here against a Slovenia side that kept a clean sheet in their last outing. The Slovenians are not exactly prolific themselves, but defensively they look solid enough to keep things tight at the back.

Correct Score Prediction

Slovenia 2-0 North Macedonia. The hosts should have enough to win comfortably without it turning into a thriller. A couple of set piece goals or a clinical finish from the striker and a second from midfield feels like the most likely script here.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Under two and a half goals. Neither side has been particularly free scoring in recent months, and while Slovenia should get on the board, a high scoring game feels unlikely. The North Macedonia defensive record of three goals conceded per game in recent defeats could push it the other way, but against a Slovenia side that managed one shot on target against Scotland, the over feels like a stretch.

Bet Builder Tip

A Slovenia win to nil in a low scoring game lines up perfectly with the form of both sides heading into this fixture.

Final Match Prediction

Slovenia 2-0 North Macedonia is the call. Cesar’s side were frustrating to watch against Scotland but showed the defensive backbone that can be built on, and North Macedonia are simply not in a position to hurt them right now. Five games without a goal, eight without a win, and a back line that has been leaking goals for months. That is not a recipe for getting anything from a road trip to Ljubljana.

The home side will not blow North Macedonia away in style, but they will be efficient, they will capitalise on the first clear chance they get, and they will see the game out professionally. Three points and a clean sheet would be exactly what this Cesar era needs to get some proper momentum going.

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