After defeating the neighbors to the north in a hard fought 2-1 win on Sunday night, Armenia set up a grandstand final with North Macedonia where a win would not only take Armenia to the top of Group C2 but include promotion to Division B and a chance at the FIFA World Cup Playoffs. Armenia come into this match with a thin squad and only three days rest between matches. Joaquin Caparros and his staff will have to make some important decisions with very limited personnel. Veteran Goalscorer Gevorg Ghazaryan, Solomon Udo and Karapetian played 77 minutes each while Sargis Adamyan put in a 90 minute shift and was clearly exhausted. It is unknown as to whether Caparros will deploy a 4-4-2 for this match as Armenia are expected to have comparable possession to Macedonia. 

The North Macedonian side find themselves in a similar position in terms of personnel. After their historic qualification for Euro 2020 last week, manager Igor Angelovski allowed several players to return to their clubs. This coaching decision coupled with suspensions and inuries see Macedonia prepare for Armenia without Pandev, Elmas, Bardhi, Ademi, Alioski, Dimitrievski, Nikolov, and Spirovski. 

Expected Lineup 4-3-3: Siskovski (GK), Betulai (LB), Velkovski (CB), Muliu (CB), Ristovski (RB), Kostadinov (CM), Tortre (CM), Kitanovski (CM), Trajkovski (LW), Trickovski (RW), and Nestrovski (ST)

Manager Angelovski will likely leave the back line unchanged from the 2-1 win over Estonia, but with no Spirovski, Nikolov or Elmas will lead to drastic change in midfield.

The first meeting between the two sides in this competition came on Matchday 1, where the match was dull, little chances created, and all three goals came from the penalty spot, with the first Macedonian penalty seeming extremely suspect. Maceodnia held more of the ball, but this was Caparros’ first outing as Armenia manager and the philosophy was not yet instilled into the players, and still is not as it takes a lot of time to change the mentality of the players and get them used to a new system. That match was played without Henrikh Mkhitaryan and this one will follow a similar suit except Khoren Bayramyan and Edgar Babayan, who featured in that match are also out. 

The status of Armenian defensive midfielder Wbeymar Angulo is still unknown as Caparros did not reveal any information on players and personnel in the pre-match press conference, however, Solomon Udo was fantastic on his full debut for Armenia and it seems like he will be along side Artak Grigoryan once more. The defensive line is also unlikely to change as the chemistry between the defenders is growing and the line is improving. The attacking options are not plentiful, however, there are some decisions that need to be made. If Caparros opts for a 2 man striker formation like he did against Georgia, we can expect an identical lineup, with Arshak Koryan maybe taking the place of Ghazaryan. If he chooses to go with a single striker, we can expect Adamyan to get the nod up top and an attacking midfield that includes Ghazaryan, Koryan and Barseghyan. 

Expected Lineup 4-2-3-1: Yurchenko (GK), Hovhannisyan (LB), Calisir (CB), Haroyan (CB), Hmbardzumyan (RB), Grigoryan (DMF), Udo (DMF), Ghazaryan (LW), Koryan (CAM), Barseghyan (RW), Adamyan (ST)

The match will likely be a little more exciting than the initial meeting. Macedonia only require at minimum a draw to clinch the top spot in the group. Armenia on the other hand can only top the group with a win. A loss for Armenia and a win for Georgia in the match against Estonia may see Armenia drop to third if the goal difference dwindles. The Macedonian gameplan will likely be to bunker down and defend, trying to strike on the counter, however, many of these players on display will be fighting for their spot in the Euro 2020 squad next summer and will want to impress the manager. Armenia know they need to score and do so more than once if they want to ensure all 3 points.

Armenia has conceded 6 goals in 5 matches during this campaign, but three of those have come from the penalty spot meaning Armenia has proven to be difficult to break down in open play. If the defense can put together a performance like yesterday and the Udo can control the midfield by winning possession and sparking a counter attack, Armenia can see their first ever group win. The performance of Barseghyan and Adamyan will be crucial once again and Koryan may finally have his opportunity to show why he should start over Henrikh at 10. 

A win for Armenia would make history. This would be Armenia’s first ever time topping a group of competitive play, it would guarantee promotion to League B in the UEFA Nations League where Armenia will play tougher opposition regularly, and may provide a playoff spot for the 2022 FIFA World Cup depending on World Cup Qualifier results. Armenia will have only played 1 match at home, the 2-0 over Estonia on matchday 2, and can raise the spirits of a nation that is in desperate need of some light in these dark times. Go out there and get the win for your country and for the fallen. 

Armenia vs Maceodnia kicks off Wednesday November 18^th at 9:00 PMYerevan Time, 9:00 AM PST and is available to watch on ESPN+ in the US.