Macclesfield’s FA Cup third‑round tie at home to Crystal Palace this weekend sees a non‑League outfit lock horns with a Premier League side expected to handle the occasion with a degree of control.
- Date: 10/01/2025
- Kick-off: 12:15pm
- Location: Moss Rose, Macclesfield
Macclesfield come into the game from the grind of National League North, where their season has seen mixed results but a fairly open pattern in terms of goals. Recent form has seen them involved in scorelines that rarely feel flat, with a noticeable skew towards matches that reach at least three goals and a healthy share in which both sides find the net. Their home fixtures in particular tend to be more expansive, with Macclesfield generally looking to use the ball positively at Moss Rose, committing numbers forward in transition and set‑piece situations, which helps to explain why their BTTS (66% of their last nine games) and over 2.5 goals (56% of their last nine) has been a frequent outcome across recent home stretches.
That willingness to play on the front foot is a strength in their own division but comes with risk when facing a top‑flight opponent. Defensively, Macclesfield can be exposed when attacks break down, and their league results show that they concede a consistent stream of chances, particularly when games become stretched. It means that while they are capable of troubling visiting defences, they also allow opponents sufficient opportunities to turn pressure into goals, something that will be firmly on Crystal Palace’s radar as they prepare for the tie.
Crystal Palace arrive from the very different environment of the Premier League, where their campaign has largely seen competitive, often tight matches rather than extreme scorelines. Their season‑long record points towards a balanced profile, scoring at a steady rate without being one of the division’s most explosive attacks, and conceding at a similar level, which leaves many of their games hovering around the two‑to‑three‑goal mark (an average of 2.2 goals per game from their last nine league outings). In terms of BTTS and over-2.5 trends, Palace have seen five of their last nine in all competitions record over 2.5 goals, while BTTS has occurred in four of their last nine.
Ultimately, we think the reigning champions should record a comfortable win here given the immense gap in resources and quality, with the Eagles forwards' likely fancying their chances of filling their boots.
Macclesfield 0-3 Crystal Palace
