Thursday, July 10th, was a night of mixed fortunes for Macedonia’s football representatives in the UEFA Conference League. Only Vardar lit up the pitch with commanding performances, while Sileks and Rabotnichki faced a tough challenge away from home.

photo by SP La Fiorita: moment of the match in Skopje

Vardar delivered a second-half masterclass to secure a convincing 3:0 victory over San Marino’s La Fiorita. After a goalless first half in which Vardar dominated possession but couldn’t break through La Fiorita’s compact defense, the home side came alive with three goals after the break, showcasing their attacking depth and tactical discipline.

Azer Omeragikj broke the dead lock in the 47th minute after being well served by Goran Zakarić. In the 66th minute Mirko Drudi scored an own goal on Georgije Jankulov’s cross, while the 21-year-old Uganda national team player Rogers Mato set the final score in the 68th minute with a good shot from the edge of the box.

The floodgates opened with three unanswered goals, sealing the win and giving Vardar a strong advantage heading into the second leg.

Highlights:

Rabotnichki faced a daunting task against Belarusian side Torpedo BelAZ and unfortunately fell short, suffering a 3:0 defeat despite the match being played on neutral field in Hungary.

Torpedo opened the scoring early in the 12th minute through Pavel Sedko, setting the tone for the match. Rabotnichki’s attempts to rally were thwarted by two more goals and a dominant midfield display from the hosts. Vadim Pobudey in the 64th minute doubled the lead after the ball got deflected, while Nigerian international Steven Alfred in the 3rd minute of the stoppage time sealed the big win.

Highlights:

With only 20.5% win probability going into the return match, Rabotnichki will need a remarkable turnaround in the second leg.

Sileks struggled to find rhythm in a tough away fixture against Dečić, falling 2:0 in the first leg of the tie.

Dečić opened the scoring in the 39th minute through Andrej Bajović, capitalizing on a defensive lapse. Sileks held possession but failed to register a single shot on target.

Things worsened for Sileks when Martin Mirchevski was sent off in the 50th minute, leaving them with ten men. Dečić doubled their lead in the 70th minute via Ibrahima N’Diaye, sealing a dominant performance.

Highlights:

With this result, Sileks will need a strong home performance in the second leg to overturn the deficit and keep their European hopes alive.

The return legs will be played next Thursday.