Vardar beat Nexe 33:27 in a club friendly on 20 August 2026. The hosts added another win to a run that had seen them take five straight victories across all competitions. Nexe came off a narrow defeat to Trimo Trebnje the day before and could not match their opponents' rhythm. The result gives Vardar a confidence boost ahead of the new season.
Both sides had been active in the days leading up to this encounter. Vardar played Olympiacos on 18 August and won 39:27, while Nexe lost 21:26 to Trimo Trebnje on the same date. The contrast in form was visible from the opening minutes, with Vardar's attack finding space more easily. To be fair, Nexe had shown they could compete against top opposition earlier in May, but those results were against stronger opponents.
The match itself followed a predictable pattern. Vardar controlled the tempo and Nexe struggled to settle into their game. By then, the scoreline reflected the difference in sharpness between the two sides. Vardar's recent results had been consistently high-scoring—39:29 against Prilep and 36:34 against Butele Skopje in May—while Nexe's performances had been more uneven.
Looking at the broader context, Vardar's winning streak spanned all five of their recent matches, including victories over local rivals and European opposition. Nexe's record was mixed: wins against Besiktas and Kiel in friendly settings, but losses to top clubs like Kiel and Zagreb in competitive fixtures. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. The fact is that Vardar's home advantage added to their momentum.
The 33:27 scoreline tells the story without embellishment. Vardar scored six more goals than their opponents, a margin that felt comfortable rather than tense. Nexe had nothing to prove in a friendly, but the result did not offer much encouragement ahead of their competitive campaign. The hosts now close their pre-season preparations with a clean bill of health and a winning streak intact.