Shkëndija Haracinë edged past Skopje 1:0 in the seventh round of the First League on Monday, sealing a narrow victory that kept them in the upper half of the table. The hosts controlled much of the tempo, though the match rarely opened up until the final minutes. It was a result that matched our pre-match assessment — we backed the home side at 44 per cent confidence, and they delivered when it mattered.
The first sign of friction came at the 20th minute, when a yellow card was shown to one of the visitors. To be fair, the game had been tightly contested from the outset, with both sides wary of committing too many men forward. The hosts responded by keeping possession and probing down the flanks.
Skopje were reduced to defending more deeply after the 43rd minute, when a second booking arrived on the other side of the pitch. By then, Shkëndija had worked 163 attacks compared to their opponents' 115, and it showed in the way they moved the ball. The visitors struggled to string together any sustained pressure.
And here's the thing — the breakthrough only arrived in the 87th minute, when D. Elezi found the net. He had waited long enough, and when the chance came, he didn't hesitate. It was a moment that settled the contest, even if the statistics suggested a closer affair than the scoreline implied.
Shkëndija registered five shots on target from 163 attacks, while Skopje managed three attempts on goal. Possession sat at 66 per cent for the hosts, and they earned six corners to their visitors' zero. The visitors couldn't find a corner all night, which said something about the way the game was being played.
The victory moves Shkëndija to 13 points from seven matches, keeping them in third place. Skopje remain rooted to 10th with just three points, and the gap between them and the top half is beginning to look uncomfortable.