Football clubs Skopje and Shkendija Arachinovo are the new members of Macedonia’s football elite following the incredible and dramatic playoff matches in which Pelister and Brera suffered defeats and were relegated to the Second League.
FC Skopje secured a narrow 1-0 victory over AP Brera, while Shkendija Arachinovo prevailed over Pelister after a genuine penalty shootout thriller in Kavadarci, following a 1-1 draw in regular time.
The duel in Bitola between Skopje and Brera produced a completely even battle throughout all ninety minutes, with all the drama unfolding in the closing stages. The key moments began in the 86th minute when Angelov missed a huge chance to put Skopje ahead after failing to convert a penalty. However, in the very next attack, following an excellently taken corner from the right, Trajchevski reacted best inside the opponents’ penalty area and, with the help of the post, put the ball into the net to spark huge celebrations among the visitors from the capital.
Even greater excitement came in Kavadarci, where the nets remained untouched until the second half. The team from Arachinovo took the lead first through Nazifi, who made an excellent run on a fast counterattack and precisely beat the Bitola goalkeeper. After conceding, the Pelister players went all in, and their attacking approach soon earned them a penalty. However, experienced striker Mirko Ivanovski buckled under the pressure in this crucial situation: his initial effort from the spot was saved, after which he sent the rebound high over the crossbar.
Although it seemed at that moment that the team from Bitola were heading for defeat, they did not give up. In added time they first hit the crossbar, and in the 97th minute, following an assist from Spirovski, Petkovski scored a lifesaving equaliser for 1-1, sending the match to a penalty shootout.
The penalty lottery turned into a genuine drama over eight rounds, with Shkendija Arachinovo goalkeeper Antonio Stolevski the undisputed hero. He first saved a penalty in the fourth round, then shone again in the fifth by saving Ristevski’s effort. Although celebrations began at that point, referee Stojchevski, following an intervention from the VAR room, disallowed the penalty because the goalkeeper had come off his goal line too early.
On the retaken attempt, Ristevski made it 4-4, after which Shkendija captain Nuhija missed the first match point for his team.
The drama continued in the sixth round with further misses from both sides, until finally, in the eighth round, Stolevski once again kept out Petkovski’s effort. In the next attempt, Dervishi remained cool and accurate from the spot, officially sending Shkendija Arachinovo into the First League.
