Dukagjini beat Malisheva 2:0 in the Superliga's fifth round of the regular season on Thursday evening. The hosts took control early, with M. Pefqeli opening the scoring in the 19th minute. D. Isufi doubled the advantage just after the half-hour mark.
And here's the thing about that first goal. It came at a crucial point before the break, right when Malisheva were pushing forward. The visitors had more possession but never quite found the rhythm. By then, Dukagjini had already changed their approach.
To be fair, Malisheva came out with energy. They racked up 218 attacks against just 138 for the hosts. But shots off target tell you everything. Five attempts wide for the visitors compared to three for Dukagjini.
We had called for a home win at 46 per cent confidence, and the result backed that up. Things came to a head in those opening 30 minutes. Two goals in quick succession changed the complexion entirely.
Possession sat at 35 per cent for the hosts against 65 for the visitors. Both sides registered five shots on target. Dukagjini claimed two corners while Malisheva earned seven. The visitors picked up four yellow cards to the hosts' three.
The victory keeps Dukagjini in second place with 11 points from five games. They have won three and drawn two without a single defeat. Malisheva drop to third with 10 points after three wins, one draw and one loss. The gap between them remains tight.