Struga will be hoping to make the most of their home-field advantage when they welcome FK Zalgiris to Stadion Biljanini Izvori for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League first round of qualifiers on Tuesday evening.
The hosts are the underdogs going into this crucial encounter, having never qualified for the competition in the past, while the visitors reached the third round of qualification last season but were knocked out by FK Bodo/Glimt.
Match preview
Struga were dominated for large parts in the first leg as their opponents came out the blocks flying and piled on the pressure in the first half, but Vedran Kjosevski pulled off two impeccable saves to keep his side level heading into the break.
They managed to carve out a few chances themselves in the second half, but they were notably second best on the day and could have easily been two or three goals down had their opponents finishing been more clinical.
However, having held on to a clean sheet, it is still anyone's game, and Shpetim Duro's side will be fairly confident as they were incredible at home last season, posting a record of 13 wins and three draws in 16 matches.
In fact, the last time that Struga were beaten in a competitive match at Stadion Biljanini Izvori was in April 2022, when they lost on penalties to Makedonija GjP in a Macedonian Cup match.
Struga romped to their first-ever league title last season, recording 68 points in their 30 matches, which was 10 points better than Shkupi in second place, and they were the only side that were unbeaten at home across the entire season.
Meanwhile, FK Zalgiris recorded their third consecutive A Lyga title win last season, managing an excellent tally of 84 points in 36 matches, which was 21 points more than Kauno Zalgiris's total in second place.
However, it has been a different story so far this term as they find themselves in a heated battle with Panevezys, who currently lead the league standings by three points after 21 matches and have played a game less than the defending champions.
The most notable drop-off in Vladimir Cheburin's side this season has been in the goalscoring department, where they recorded 85 in the league last season but are currently on 40 this term and already well into the second half of the campaign.
Their wasteful finishing was evident in the first leg as they dominated possession at home, created six big chances and fired a total of 12 shots at goal, but only three of them were on target.
Nevertheless, the visitors will still be heavily fancied to get the job done in this one as they come into the match unbeaten in their last nine matches in all competitions and carrying a four-match win streak in away games.
Team News
The 36-year-old Besart Ibraimi was largely ineffective in the first leg as opportunities were at a premium for his side, and Duro may consider handing Valentin Kocoski a start to add a little more pace at the top of the pitch.
Sava Radic and Mexhit Neziri formed a good partnership in front of Kjosevski, and having kept their clean sheet intact, we should see that combination remain unchanged.
Yury Kendysh was the best player on the pitch for Zalgiris in the first leg and should continue in midfield with Yukiyoshi Karashima and Paulius Golubickas.
As it turned out, goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas's withdrawal at half time in the friendly against Tirana was not injury related, and he will resume duty between the sticks for the hosts.
Struga possible starting lineup:
Kjosevski; Maliki, Neziri, Radic, Krivanjeva, Zguro; Radeski, Shabani, Tairi, Bokju; Kocoski
FK Zalgiris possible starting lineup:
Gertmonas; Bopesu, Hnid, Vucur, Pavelic; Gorobsov, Kendysh, Golubickas, Karashima, Kazlauskas; Kehinde
We say: Struga 0-1 FK Zalgiris
While Struga managed to hold on to a draw in the first leg, they were noticeably outplayed for the majority of the match, and they will likely be on the defensive for much of this match as well. At home, the hosts should put on a good showing, but we feel that the visitors will just edge past them by a single goal.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Devesh Jaganath
