Julen Lopetegui's side are currently top of Group G, although they are only ahead of second-placed Italy on goal difference at the midway point of the qualification campaign. There is still plenty of work to be done for the Spaniards if they are to book a place in Russia next summer, but there is a feeling that September's meeting with the Azzurri in Madrid will determine which nation advances automatically and which goes through to the play-off round. Spain look to be in a strong position at present, though, and they will fancy their chances of adding another three points to their tally on Sunday evening.
Macedonia were never in with a realistic chance of advancing to Russia, and they will probably be reasonably content with their current position of fifth place in Group G. The nation currently ranked 136th in the world have never qualified for a major competition and will surely not be able to do so at any point in the near future, although the upcoming expansion of the Word Cup in 2026 will give greater hope to countries of a similar size. Nevertheless, the Macedonians will be focused on simply securing as many points as they possibly can between now and the end of the process in October.
Spain's squad is typically star-studded, with several top-class players in various positions selected by Lopetegui. Real Madrid's Champions League winners Isco, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Morata and Marco Asensio are all included, as are Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets. Pedro Rodriguez, Thiago Alcantara and Diego Costa will be looking to build on their positive club campaigns, meanwhile.
Macedonia's star man, Palermo striker Ilija Nestorovski, is the joint-second top goalscorer in Group G with four goals to his name. That tally is beaten by only Italy centre-forward Ciro Immobile, which suggests that Spain will need to keep a close eye on the 27-year-old on Sunday. Captain Goran Pandev is still going strong at international level, while Nestorovski's club team-mate Aleksandar Trajkovski will also be keen to make an impression in the final third. The Red Lions will sit deep, give up control of the ball and look to make life as difficult as possible for their illustrious opponents.
It is not so much a question of who will win this weekend's encounter in Skopje, but rather by what scoreline Spain will emerge victorious. It is difficult to see La Roja conceding, so an away victory to nil would be worth considering, while it could be worth backing the in-form Isco to find the back of the net anytime. If you are feeling particularly brave, consider putting some money on a 4-0 Spain win, which is offered at relatively favourable odds across the board.
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