Manager John Toshack announced the starting 11 that Macedonia will field in the friendly against Portugal, starting in less than an hour.

The formation will be a cross between a 3-4-2-1 and 5-2-2-1 with the right and left wingbacks expected to play solid defense and contribute in the attack as well.  Those two spots will be occupied by two youngsters and they will be going up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma, so they will be tested and Toshack wants to see how they rise to the challenge.

Toshack has opted to start Martin Bogatinov in goal, Vanche Shikov, Boban Grncharov and Nikolche Noveski as the three centre-backs, Stefan Ristovski as the right wingback with Yani Urdinov on the left side, Nikola Gligorov and Stefan Spirovski as the two defensive midfielders, and Goran Pandev, Ivan Trichkovski and Samir Fazli in attack.

The starting lineup features four U21 players who were promoted to the senior team by Toshack in Ristovski, Urdinov, Spirovski and Fazli.  Toshack also told FFM’s website that from the nine players on the bench, around six of them will get a chance to play later in the game. 

Macedonia: Bogatinov – Ristovski, Shikov, Grncharov, Noveski, Urdinov – Spirovski, Gligorov – Pandev, Trichkovski – Fazli.