Ezgjan Alioski secured an important level for North Macedonia in Friday’s UEFA World Cup Qualifier towards Belgium, netting a shocking volley to earn a 1-1 draw.
The hosts left it late to grab a degree, with Alioski scoring within the 86th minute to attract stage.
Either side threatened within the opening minutes at Todor Proeski Nationwide Enviornment, with Nicolas Raskin and Alexis Saelemaekers squandering good alternatives contained in the opening 20 minutes.
The hosts instantly threatened, putting the woodwork twice in fast succession as Eljif Elmas first bent a shot onto the within of the put up earlier than Alioski failed to show within the rebound.
Maxim De Cuyper lastly put Belgium forward simply earlier than the half-hour mark, capitalising well on a rebounded save off Romelu Lukaku’s close-range shot.
North Macedonia raced out of the blocks after the break with renewed vigour and have been instantly rewarded when Bojan Ilievski drew them stage with a superb end simply three minutes after the restart, although the aim was dominated out for offside following a VAR overview.
The hosts continued to ask questions of Belgium’s disorganised defence, although Jeremy Doku, ever the livewire, posed a relentless risk and tried to arrange Raskin, who might solely information his effort onto the put up.
Belgium regarded as if they have been going to scrape away with a win earlier than Darko Churlinov clipped a wonderful cross in behind with simply 4 minutes remaining, which Alioski met with a thundering left-footed volley to stage the rating.
North Macedonia sit second in Group J, having earned 5 factors from three qualifiers. Belgium, in the meantime, are in fourth place after their first qualifying match.
A day stuffed with targets in European qualifying!#FIFAWorldCup
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Knowledge debrief: North Macedonia come up trumps
North Macedonia have scored in all three of their UEFA World Cup Qualifiers, whereas no group has finished so extra typically.
It marks their longest run of video games with a aim within the competitors since a run of three video games from eleventh November 2021 to twenty fourth March 2022.
They completed Friday’s encounter with an anticipated targets (xG) worth of 1.29, whereas Belgium severely underperformed their 2.16 xG.
The Pink Devils have now scored in every of their final 20 video games within the World Cup qualifying, scoring 70 targets in that run.
