Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace Predictions

• Macclesfield have scored in 15 of their 17 home games this season across all comps.
• Palace have conceded seven goals across their last three road games.
• Macclesfield are the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup.

Holders Palace face minnows Macc

Crystal Palace begin their FA Cup defence with a trip to the lowest ranked side left in the competition, Macclesfield FC of the National League North.

This season marks the first time the phoenix club have reached the FA Cup proper after Macclesfield Town were wound up in 2020.

It has been a dream run for the Silkmen but there is a huge gulf in quality here and Palace should win comfortably.

There is little value in backing the Eagles to win and the best angle could be going for both teams to score. Palace have a stretched squad at present and boss Oliver Glasner should use this game as a chance to field his fringe men and potentially even a few youth players, while the Macc players should be highly motivated for this televised game – which is easily the biggest fixture the club will have played since being reformed.

Macclesfield have a decent scoring record at home having only failed to find the net in two of their 17 games at Moss Rose, while Palace have shipped seven goals across their last three away games.

Macclesfield will continue to push forward even if they do fall a few goals behind and Palace will ease off if they do build up a big lead, and following that thinking a 4-1 win for the visitors seems a reasonable correct score prediction even if the champions are capable of winning by a bigger margin.