Vardar defeated Butel Skopje 26-21 in a club friendly on Thursday evening. The Macedonian sides met on 14 August at 18:30 for a match that offered little surprise given recent form. Vardar took all three points while Butel extended their lean run.
Butel have won only one of their last five fixtures. They lost 29-31 to Прилеп on Wednesday, and before that 34-36 to Vardar themselves on 27 May. A 21-37 defeat to Алкалоид and a 28-38 loss to Еврофарм Пелистер round out a difficult spell. Their solitary win came 21-20 against Тиквеш on 2 May.
Vardar's record is steadier. They beat Прилеп 39-29 on Wednesday, and had already beaten Butel 36-34 on 27 May. Two more victories followed against Тиквеш and Еврофарм Пелистер, with only a 24-26 loss to Охрид on 9 May breaking their sequence.
The margin of victory was modest, five goals, but Butel's defence looked open throughout. They conceded 26 shots while managing 21 of their own. The gap in confidence between the two sides was visible from the first minutes.
And here's the thing — this result adds nothing to any table. It was a friendly, and the standings remain unchanged. But for Butel, it marks another defeat in a row, and another reminder that they are not competing at the same level as last season.