Shkupi vs Shkendija Prediction: All eyes are on this big derby

All football eyes will be focused on the big derby between Shkupi and Shkendija. The duels between these angry rivals always attract a lot of attention, not only with the game on the field but also with the frequent incidents and outbursts of the fans in the stands. Both teams are at the very top of the table this season and will surely fight for the trophy until the end of the championship. Although they have been playing erratically in the last period, they still keep the two leading places in the table, and their biggest competitor in the championship race is the defending champion Struga, which are only two points behind, but has one game less.

Form: DWWLW

Shkupi played only a draw against the underdog Gostivar in the last match and it disturbed the energy and atmosphere in the team a little. However, today at home they are expecting a full stadium and very loud support, so the players will have to give 100%. They are 1st on the table with 32 points, the same as Shkendija but with a better goal difference. In the last 5 matches, they have 3 wins a draw, and a defeat, while at home they are the best team in the league with 7 wins and a draw. 

Form: WDWLD

The team from Tetovo will arrive in Cair full of optimism and announce a big fight for points in the MFL derby match. Shkendija will have several absences from the team for this match (Maksimov, Qaqa, and Krasniqi are out of the lineup), but excellent and quality football is still expected in the match with Shkupi. They played well against Rabotnicki and deservedly won in the last round. The match with Shkupi comes at the right time for them as their form have improved recently. Shkendija have a big challenge ahead as they haven’t won in league match against Shkupi for 4 years. 

Recent MFL encounters between these rivals have not brought much excitement. Three of the last five matches ended without goals (0-0), while Shkupi won the other two with 2-1 and 2-0 respectively. Shkendija recorded their last victory over Shkupi a year ago, but in the Cup of Macedonia (0-3), while the last time they celebrated in the league was in 2019 (4-0). The pressure is certainly huge on both teams, I expect very disciplined game with many interruptions, duels and fouls especially in the middle. Shkupi are slight favorite here and I think in the end they will win in front of fully crowded stadium.