The new season in the First MFL opened with the derby match between Vardar and Pelister, but the Bitola team succumbed at the National Arena in Skopje, even though they played an even first half.
The defense's inattention in stoppage time in the first half gave Vardar the lead, and at the start of the second half, Rogers Mato touched the ball just enough to change its direction, so Andrej Jovchevski capitulated again.
"The results of the first round showed that the teams that played in the European Cups have a certain advantage due to the earlier start of preparations and the improved playing form. Vardar is one of them and thanks to that, they had a more successful realization, which happened at critical moments such as the referee's stoppage in the first half and the start of the second half. We did not take advantage of our chances, we did not have a finish in the transitions, otherwise we could have given the derby a different course, which I think did not disappoint the audience," says the coach of the Bitola club, Dimitar Kapinkovski.
According to the Bitola team's strategist, their future opponent AP Brera had a similar match to theirs, where after an even start, Sileks managed to demolish the Strumica team. Unlike them, Brera will now be the host, and Pelister will be playing away for the second time.
"The draw wanted us to play away three times in the first four matches. Brera, just like us, had a duel in which they played with an opponent that was different in form, so the result certainly does not reflect the true capacity of Strumica. They were an equal opponent until the moment when they were left without one player, and then they fell at the finish. I don't think anyone enters this match as a favorite, so the match can be decided by a player who will have his day or the team that will be luckier in the realization. We will approach it normally, like any other match. Our team is in the process of being formed, but our goal is to get into playing form as soon as possible and outplay each other, to win points. I expect positive results as soon as possible, so we are eagerly awaiting this match with Brera, but also the next one that we will play under floodlights at home with Shkupi."
The match between AP Brera and Pelister is scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m., and the result is expected to be a clear indicator of which of the two teams can make a move towards the top of the table, and which will be left to the fight for survival.
