Today's start of the 26th round of the Macedonian championship brought us two completely different matches. While in Kavadarci we saw real dominance and a goal show by the guests from Kratovo, in Kumanovo tactics and solid play prevailed over efficiency.
Kratovo "lesson" under the City Stadium in Kavadarci
The Sileks team continues to be the "black cat" for Tikvesh this season. Kratovci celebrated a convincing and deserved victory of 0:3 , confirming that the form after the high triumph over Shkupi is on the rise.
From the very start, Sileks set the pace, hitting the post after just three minutes of play. The initiative paid off in the 17th minute when Portuguese Pires headed home his tenth goal of the season. Before the end of the first half, in the 41st minute, Adi Alic doubled the lead with an assist from Darko Dodev.
Although Tikvesh tried to come back in the second half through Ackovski and Misov, the visitors' goalkeeper, Dzekov , was invincible. Velinovski put the match on the line in the 85th minute with a beautiful left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area, leaving Stevkovski with no chance to react. This is Sileks' third victory over Tikvesh this season.
Bashkimi and AP Brera practiced tactics in Kumanovo
In the second match of the day, the teams of Bashkimi and AP Brera shared the points after a goalless draw ( 0:0 ). Although the final score did not suggest excitement, the second half offered several chances that the attackers failed to realize.
The closest to the lead came to the guests from Strumica in the 67th minute, when Kuako performed a real masterpiece, but his shot ended up at the very junction between the crossbar and the post. On the other side, the home team's striker Avornio missed a "gift" from the guests' defender Lukovic in the 75th minute, shooting over the goal from an ideal position. In the final, Lukovic could have redeemed himself with a header, but the nets at the stadium in Kumanovo remained untouched today.
Table standings after the first matches of the 26th round
With these results, Sileks consolidates its fourth position with 46 points, while Tikvesh remains at 37 points. Bashkimi reached 37 points with the draw, while AP Brera now has 32 points in the fight for safe survival.
