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Can Palace’s chance creation overpower Macclesfield’s set-piece threat at Moss Rose? Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
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This selection is justified by the mismatch in league levels combined with specific tactical weaknesses. Crystal Palace are the superior technical side and are very strong at creating chances, but they are very weak at defending set-piece situations. Macclesfield excel in this area, averaging six corners per game and scoring in nine consecutive FA Cup fixtures. While Palace’s class should carry them to a victory as they look to defend their trophy, the high probability of a set-piece goal for the hosts makes the "win and BTTS" market a logical conclusion based on the statistical profiles.
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A 3-1 scoreline aligns with Palace’s ability to dominate the middle of the park and create a high volume of shots (13.31 per game). Despite rotating their squad, Palace should find the net multiple times against a National League North defense. However, Macclesfield’s directness—putting 63% of their shots in the box—and Palace’s defensive vulnerability against fouls and set pieces suggest the non-league hosts will likely snatch a goal. This scoreline reflects a competitive cup tie where the Premier League side’s quality eventually tells, but not without a defensive blemish.
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Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace Predictions and Best Bets
Macclesfield FC vs Crystal Palace — William Hill Market Snapshot
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As FA Cup holders, Crystal Palace are expected to assert their authority, despite the energetic challenge posed by the non-league hosts.
Macclesfield’s consistent scoring record in the cup makes them a threat, particularly from set pieces where Palace have shown vulnerability.
A 1–3 outcome reflects the expected superior quality of the visitors while accounting for a home goal from the resilient non-league side.
- Macclesfield’s set-piece pressure is relentless: 174 corners in 29 matches (6 per game) meets a Palace side that is very weak at defending set pieces.
- Both sides live in the box: Palace average 13.31 shots per game with 71% inside the area, while Macclesfield average 12.07 with 63% inside the box.
- FA Cup momentum is real on both sides: Macclesfield have scored in nine straight FA Cup games and won six straight FA Cup home matches, while Palace have three straight FA Cup clean sheets.
Set Piece Volume: Average Corners Won
Macclesfield treat dead-ball situations as primary scoring routes, winning a significant number of corners to test the opposition’s organization.
With 174 corners across 29 matches, the hosts apply constant pressure in wide areas.
Palace rely more on technical transitions through the middle rather than high-volume corner sequences.
Offensive Output: Shots per Match
Both sides look to be aggressive in the final third, consistently testing goalkeepers from central positions.
A high 63% of their shots come from inside the box, targeting the danger zone.
Palace take a high volume of shots, with 71% originating from inside the penalty area.
Crystal Palace don’t get to tiptoe into this one. They head to the Leasing.com Stadium as FA Cup holders, drawn against a non-league side in Macclesfield FC, in a third-round tie that comes with all the usual noise and none of the usual comfort. It’s billed as Saturday lunchtime, yet the fixture details pin it to 10 January 2026 at 19:15, with the temperature sitting around 3° at Moss Rose Ground. Either way, it’s a cold night for warm feelings.
The hook is simple and brilliant. Palace, holders of the trophy, turning up at a non-league ground with a team that lives off momentum, moments and muscle memory. Macclesfield, the hosts, have already built a story in this competition. They’ve won their last five FA Cup matches at an 80% rate, they’ve won their last four FA Cup home matches, and they’ve strung together six straight home wins in the FA Cup. They’ve also scored at least once in each of their last nine FA Cup games. That is not the profile of a side waiting politely to be beaten.
Palace arrive with their own quirks. They’re very strong at creating scoring chances, they take a lot of shots and they attack through the middle, but they’re weak at finishing scoring chances. They’re also very weak at defending set pieces, which is the sort of flaw that turns a neat cup evening into a long, anxious one. When you travel to Moss Rose Ground to face a team that will treat every throw-in like a corner, that matters.
Team News and Likely Set-Ups
Macclesfield’s possible starting XI looks like a back five: Dearnley; Matheson, Heathcote, Menayese, Borthwick-Jackson, Lacey; Dawson, Duffy, Dos Santos; Buckley-Ricketts, Elliott.
That gives them numbers behind the ball and a clear base for direct attacking. With three central midfielders and a front two, Macclesfield can keep the middle compact, compete for second balls, and spring quickly when Palace over-commit.
Palace’s possible XI is set up as a back three: Benitez; Canvot, Richards, King; Sosa, Devenny, Rodney, Benamar; Casey, Drakes-Thomas; Uche.
It’s a selection that screams rotation without losing the underlying structure. Palace’s most-used shape in the league reads as a 3-4-2-1, and this possible XI keeps the same bones: three centre-backs, wing-backs providing the lanes, two behind a single striker. The names are different, but the idea stays consistent.
That matters because Palace are described as a consistent first eleven in their style notes, but this line-up brings in players who have barely played in the league season. Canvot has 2(6) appearances and 289 minutes. Sosa has 0(4) appearances and 28 minutes. Uche has 0(10) appearances and 109 minutes. Drakes-Thomas has 0(2) appearances and 7 minutes. Those numbers don’t make them anonymous; they make them unpredictable. They also make cohesion a live issue in the first half-hour, especially away from home.
Macclesfield, meanwhile, have an explicit absentee: J. Kay is suspended for yellow cards. That’s one less midfield option in a game where legs and discipline matter.
How the Match Could Be Played
Palace’s identity points one way: they attack through the middle, they take a lot of shots, and they attempt through balls often. They’re also described as playing in their own half and being non-aggressive. That combination typically produces a side that doesn’t chase wildly but waits to nick the ball and then go straight into the central channel.
Macclesfield can make that uncomfortable by refusing to give Palace the central space they want. A back five naturally blocks the half-spaces and forces play wide, and Palace are weak at keeping possession of the ball. If Macclesfield sit in, shuffle across, and keep Palace in front of them, the visitors are pushed into recycling the ball and delivering from outside their preferred lanes.
That brings the wing-backs into focus. Palace’s possible XI lists Sosa and Benamar as the wide providers, with Devenny and Rodney inside the midfield line. If those wide players can get high and pin Macclesfield’s wing-backs, Palace can create the kind of overloads that lead to cutbacks and through balls from the edge of the box. If they can’t, Palace can end up with sterile possession and a lot of hopeful shots from unkind angles.
Macclesfield’s own match rhythm is clearer than you might expect from the limited team-wide stat panel. In their wider match block, they average 12.07 shots per game and they put 63% of those shots inside the box. That is directness with purpose: work it into the area, then finish the move. They also win corners at a huge rate — 174 corners across 29 matches, which is 6 per game. That is constant pressure in wide zones and a constant invitation to scramble.
Now marry that to Palace’s biggest red flag: very weak defending set pieces. That’s not a small weakness you can hide behind dominance. That is a flashing sign in a one-off tie against a side that will live for every corner, every free kick, every long throw, every messy bounce. Palace are also weak at avoiding fouling in dangerous areas. If Palace give away cheap dead balls, the match becomes exactly what Macclesfield want.
The other key battle is what happens after Palace win it. They are strong at stealing the ball from the opposition and very strong at creating chances. Macclesfield, for all their cup trends, are still a side facing Premier League-level movement and speed of thought. If Macclesfield’s midfield line gets stretched, Palace can punch through with quick central combinations and through balls into the runners behind.
This is also where Palace’s finishing weakness cuts both ways. Palace can build pressure, create repeated chances, and still keep Macclesfield alive. That’s not a moral judgement. It’s simply how a match stays dangerous when the underdog keeps seeing the next set piece, the next corner, the next hopeful delivery.
Game state matters too. Macclesfield have kept scoring in the FA Cup — at least one goal in nine straight FA Cup matches — and they’ve been relentless at home in the competition. Palace have their own FA Cup habits listed: six consecutive HT/FT wins in the FA Cup, and three straight FA Cup clean sheets. Those trends set up a fascinating contrast in how the early minutes might feel: Macclesfield hunting their moment, Palace trying to control the temperature of the tie.
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The Numbers That Support the Story
Macclesfield’s broader record across 29 matches shows 44 goals scored (1.52 per game) and 35 conceded (1.21 per game). That matters because it paints them as a side that can both land punches and limit damage, which is exactly the base you need for a cup run.
Palace, across 32 matches, have scored 39 goals (1.22 per game) and conceded 31 (0.97 per game). That defensive average is lower, and it underlines why Palace can travel with confidence even when the performance isn’t sparkling.
But the match-level profiles are where the tactical story lives. Macclesfield average 57% possession with a 78% pass accuracy in the match block, while Palace sit at 46% possession with 79% pass accuracy. That flips the expected script: the home side keep the ball more in this sample, and Palace play without it more often. In this tie, that means Palace must be sharp when they do get the ball, because the match can drift into Macclesfield territory if Palace don’t impose their transitions.
The chance volume also leans towards activity rather than caution. Palace take 13.31 shots per game, with 71% of those shots coming from inside the box. That aligns perfectly with “creating scoring chances” and “attack through the middle”. Macclesfield aren’t miles behind: 12.07 shots per game, with 63% inside the box. Both teams want the ball in the danger area. Neither is aiming for a quiet evening.
Finally, the corner gap screams at you. Macclesfield’s 6 corners per game dwarfs Palace’s 4.44. Against a Palace side that is very weak at defending set pieces, that is the clearest route for the home side to turn pressure into genuine opportunity.
Key “Moments” to Watch
The first moment is the first serious set piece Macclesfield win. Palace are very weak defending set pieces and weak at avoiding fouling in dangerous areas, so the early discipline and organisation has to be immaculate. A cheap free kick conceded out wide can become the loudest moment of the night.
The second is Palace’s ability to convert the chances they create. Palace are very strong at creating scoring chances but weak at finishing scoring chances. If they create early openings for Uche, Casey, or Drakes-Thomas and don’t take one, the atmosphere stays firmly on Macclesfield’s side.
The third is the midfield turnover battle. Palace are strong at stealing the ball from the opposition, and Macclesfield’s build-up will be tested by that. If Palace nick it in the middle third and go straight through the centre, Macclesfield’s back five suddenly has to defend runners rather than crosses, which is a far less comfortable night’s work.
Then there’s the home habit in this competition. Macclesfield have won six straight FA Cup home games, and they’ve scored in nine straight FA Cup matches. Palace have kept clean sheets in their last three FA Cup games. Something has to give, and when it does, it’s likely to come from either a set piece scramble or a quick central break.
What could go wrong with this read? Palace’s possible XI includes players with very limited league minutes, so patterns that look clean on paper can be messy in reality. And with Palace very weak at defending set pieces, one moment of poor marking can outweigh an hour of decent control.
Best Bet for Macclesfield FC vs Crystal Palace
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Crystal Palace to win and both teams to score
The logic for this selection rests on the collision between Crystal Palace’s superior technical quality and a specific, glaring defensive vulnerability that plays directly into Macclesfield’s hands. As the current FA Cup holders, Palace possess the “muscle memory” and depth to navigate this tie, but their profile reveals they are very weak at defending set pieces and weak at avoiding fouls in dangerous areas. For a non-league side like Macclesfield, who win an average of six corners per game and put 63% of their shots inside the penalty area, these dead-ball situations represent a primary path to goal. Macclesfield have scored at least once in each of their last nine FA Cup matches, demonstrating a relentless ability to find the net in this competition regardless of the opposition’s stature.
Palace are very strong at creating scoring chances and traditionally attack through the middle with a high volume of through balls. Even with a rotated lineup featuring players like Uche and Drakes-Thomas, the visitors should dominate the central transitions. However, the predicted Palace XI is experimental; several starters have combined for fewer than 150 minutes of league action this season. This lack of competitive cohesion, particularly in the first half-hour, increases the likelihood of a defensive lapse. Macclesfield’s home record is formidable, with six straight home wins in the FA Cup and a high shot volume of 12.07 per game. They are aggressive in the box and will benefit from a 4G pitch that they understand intimately.
Ultimately, Palace’s status as a Premier League side and their trend of six consecutive HT/FT wins in this competition suggests they will eventually overwhelm their hosts. They take over 13 shots per game and are very strong at stealing possession, which will likely lead to multiple goals against a sixth-tier defense. However, given Palace’s struggles with set pieces and Macclesfield’s clinical cup scoring record, the visitors are unlikely to leave with a clean sheet.
What could go wrong?
The primary risk to this pick is Palace’s finishing. While they are very strong at creating chances, they are weak at finishing them, which could lead to a low-scoring affair if they waste early opportunities. Additionally, if Palace manage to maintain their recent form of three straight FA Cup clean sheets by completely dominating possession, Macclesfield may struggle to earn the corners they rely on to expose Palace’s set-piece frailties.
Correct score lean: 1-3
A 3-1 victory for the visitors balances the expected gulf in class with the documented tactical trends. Palace average 1.22 goals per game against much higher-level opposition and are predicted by some analysts to score at least four here; however, their weakness in finishing and heavy squad rotation suggests a slightly more conservative three-goal haul. Macclesfield’s consistency in finding the net—scoring in nine straight FA Cup games—and their high volume of corners (6 per match) makes a single goal for the hosts a high-probability event against a defense that struggles significantly with dead-ball organization.
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