Macedonia lost the second June friendly, this time away to Czechia with 2:1 after the Slovak referee awarded the hosts two penalties kick with the second being in the 9th stoppage minute.
photo by FFM: Adam Hložek makes a sliding tackle on Tihomir Kostadinov
Milevski started with only one changes from the Croatia match and that was due to the ankle injury that striker Bojan Miovski suffered in training. Tihomir Kostaduinov got a chance to play from the start in the midfield with Jani Atanasov, Isnik Alimi, while Elif Elmas was moved in the attack to partner Aleksandar Trajkovski. In the defense were Gjoko Zajkov, Darko Velkovski and Visar Musliu as the trio central backs with Stefan Ashkovski and Ezgjan Alioski as wing backs, while captain Stole Dimitrievski was at the goal.
Photo: FFM
The first half an hour were a total dominance by Czechia whose players tried on few occasions but could not hit the target. In the 7th and 8th minute Hložek and Schick missed the target, while in the 19th minute the Czechs had a great chance when the ball fall off Dimitrievski’s hands, Coufal immediately shot at the goal, but Musliu well blocked the empty net. Schick did score in the 26th minute, but the goal was confirmed by VAR that is not regular as Schick’s assistant Kichta was in offside. Two minutes later Krejčí fired a shot, but Dimitrievski made a save.
The first attempt for Macedonia came, believe it or not, in the 32nd minute. Alimi got a ball at the right edge of the box and fired, but the ball hit a home played in the back and Staněk made a save. Souček and Hložek tried for the hosts in the 34th and 40th minute, but both shots went wide, same as Douděra and Souček in the dying moment of the opening half.
No changes were made by both coaches at half-time. After the break the Czechs continued to press resulting with attempts by Krejčí and Provod, but both missed the target. In the 56th minute Atanasov tried his signature long distance shot, but Staněk made a good save.
Just minute later Musliu made penalty foul after pushing Souček with his hands in the box. VAR did not intervene and Patrick Schick converted it by sending Dimitrievski in the wrong side.
In the 65th minute the Lynx combined a good action that resulted with Trajkovski firing a great shot that hit the bar and Alimi took the ricochet on a header sending the ball into the net for 1:1. It was Alimi’s debut goal in the Macedonian national team.
Milevski made his first substitution in the 72nd minute bringing on Nikola Serafimov for Zajkov. Five minutes later Bojan Dimoski and Milan Ristovski came in instead Ashkovski and Trajkovski. Czechia continued to attack and had attempts through Šulc, Hranáč and Krejčí, before Alimi tried for Macedonia two minutes from time, but missed the target. In the 90th minute Milevski tried to lose time by making substitutions bringing in Ahmed Iljazovski and Lirim Qamili instead of Alioski and Elmas.
The Slovak referee gave 9 minutes of injury time in which first Souček fired a great shot just above the post and later Lingr missed on a volley from close range before Velkovski making a tackle inside the box on Chytil. Referee Očenáš stood by his decision to award a penalty and Antonín Barák scored for a win.
The goals:
This was the third defeat in a row for Macedonia after losing 3:0 to Croatia last Monday at 1:0 by Montenegro in late March. Our next matches are in September in the Nations League.
Match facts:
- 70th appearance for Stole Dimitrievski, 2nd as captain.
- 60th appearance for Elif Elmas.
- 30th appearance for Gjoko Zajkov.
- 25th appearance for Milan Ristovski.
- 6th match in a row without a win for Macedonia.
- 3rd defeat the 4th encounter with Czechia.
- 1st goal for Isnik Alimi in his 6th appearance.