CARDIFF, Wales (Interstat) — Wales and North Macedonia meet Tuesday in a pivotal World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium, with both sides needing a positive result to keep their hopes of automatic qualification alive.

The home side enters the match with momentum after a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein on Saturday. However, Wales’s defense will be under scrutiny after conceding four goals in each of its two previous matches against group favorite Belgium, despite scoring twice and three times in those high-scoring losses.

North Macedonia arrives in the Welsh capital unbeaten in its last two qualifiers, having played to a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan last month after a scoreless stalemate on the road against Belgium. Their defense has proven stubborn, keeping clean sheets in two of their last three matches.

According to the Interstat game simulator, the teams are projected to finish in a 1-1 draw. Such a result would likely be more beneficial to the visitors, potentially denting Wales’s ambition to secure a top spot in the group.

The matchup promises a tense tactical battle, pitting a Welsh attack looking to build on its win against a resolute North Macedonian backline. With World Cup positioning on the line, neither side can afford a misstep.