Recap
In the last match, we were a bit lucky with Rabotnicki and won the bet after two stoppage time goals of Shkëndija (91st and 96th for 1-2), but the team from Tetovo deserved to win. I was surprised by the debut of Ugandian midfielder Shafiq Kagimu who scored the goal but was substituted in the 57th minute due to injury and his appearance today is questionable. The last defeat was second in a row and 3rd in the last 4 matches, which brings a lot of worries to Rabotnicki camp. According to the public and my close friend – line referee who is an international coach from this summer, coach Zaharievski (ex-coach of Struga) will be the new manager. I completely agree with this decision, because the current coach and former Rabotnicki player – Milan Ilievski is really bad and the first coaching experience must come to an end. As I already mentioned in the previous analysis, many key players left the team in the summer transfer period and some new ones arrived, which in my opinion are still not adapted or the current coach doesn’t know how to manage them.
I will repeat some of my sentences from the previous analysis on Brera Strumica (ex-Akademija Pandev). The team was owned by legendary Macedonian player Goran Pandev, who sold the club for 400,000 euros to Brera Holding, which owned many developing teams all around the world. The Italian coach Giovanni Valenti sat on the bench and they invested a lot in the best youth players in the region and also brought some foreign youth prospects like Senegalese Pape Oumar Cisse, Argentinian Nahuel Franco, Brazilian Leo Antonio, and Italian Salvatore Ribaudo. They have a good start to the season, having won four matches, and the first defeat comes in a hard away trip to Stip, where reinforced Bregalnica (a really good team this season), undeservedly won by 1-0. The guests from Strumica missed a penalty in the 74th minute and many good chances to win at least a point.
At home, they have a perfect record and it’s interesting that the line referee (my close friend) will be again at the match. He is the lucky „bastard “ for Brera Strumica and was also the line referee in the last home match against Tikves, where Brera won by 2-0.
All in all, Brera is a heavy favorite to get back on the winning way and kick Ilievski from the Rabotnicki bench. The odds will drop to 1.75-1.80
P.S. One more Macedonian football and Macedonia volleyball team win analysis will be published