Despite being narrowly defeated on the road by AEK Larnaca with a score of 1-0, the champion of North Macedonia, Shkëndija, has achieved a historic success by securing qualification for the UEFA Conference League play-offs, reports Telegrafi.
Thanks to favorable results in other matches, the Tetovo team “caught the last train” and was ranked among the teams that will continue in European competitions, ensuring a golden European spring.
The match started with a more concrete and courageous Shkëndija. Already in the 4th minute, Ronaldo Webster penetrated the area, dribbled two opponents and shot diagonally, but goalkeeper Alomerović reacted well by deflecting the ball into the corner. AEK Larnaca was almost helpless in the offensive phase, while Shkëndija’s defense functioned perfectly. In the first 30 minutes, the home team registered only one serious chance, a header that ended over the crossbar.
In the continuation of the first half, pushed by the home crowd, the Cypriots increased the pressure and tried several times to score, but without success, as each shot was blocked by the red and black defenders. Before the break, after a chaotic action after a break, the ball ended up in the head of the Serbian Ivanovic, who scored, but the goal was canceled by VAR for offside.
The second half started badly for Shkëndija, who were left with one player less after Liridon Latifi’s red card for a rough tackle. Coach Jeton Beqiri immediately reacted with changes, sending Alhassan and Tamba onto the field to maintain freshness and speed, and then activating Mazarin. AEK continued the pressure and reached the goal in the 83rd minute, when after a corner by Ledes Gustavo, Angielski scored with a header for 1-0.
Until the end of the match, the home team exerted constant pressure in front of the Macedonian champion’s goal, but the result did not change. The minimal loss did not diminish the great success of Shkëndija, which closed the stage in the positions leading to new European challenges, confirming that this team has already written an important page of history in the international arena. /Telegraph/