Rabotnicki noted an easy, expected win, which once again could have been with bigger margin, against Juvenes/Dogana.

From minute one it was obvious that only one team wanted the win in Skopje. Rabotnicki were constantly on the attack, for bigger part of the game every player except Dimitrievski was on Juvenes’ half of the pitch. 

Chances were constantly counting in front of Juvenes goal, but Rabotnicki’s players were once again not as efficient as they should have been. Manevski, Velkovski, Velkoski, Petrovik, Petkovski – they were all combining in front of goal, they were all shooting, nobody scored.

Rabotnicki needed 35 minutes to break down Juvenes defense when a ball from corner ended on far post where Manevski was the first to react and changed the ball course into the goal. It was visible that Juvenes/Dogana were in Skopje with only one goal in front of them – concede as few as possible. Even after going 1 down, the visitors did not opened their play at all. Several attacks is all they did and each attack was ending with a counter-attack for Rabotnicki. The half-time score was only 1:0 for Rabotnicki.

Petkovski doubled the lead just 5 minutes from half-time when he was the tallest in the box and headed the ball into the net after a cross from the right. Only 6 minutes later, Petrovik scored the third goal with a strong low shot and it seemed like Rabotnicki will continue scoring. Coach Petreski gave chance to younger players like Avramovski and Trajkovski. They were running and constantly giving their opponents a tough time, but the strikers did not have a field day although they scored 3 goals.

Juvenes/Dogana only real chance came in the 75th minute when Ceci lobbed Dimitrievski but his effort went off-target. In the last 15 minutes, Manevski had several chances, Vujčić and Petkovski as well, but the efficiency was once again on low level and the final score remained 3:0.

Meanwhile, Anorthosis lost to Gagra 2-0 but they had 3:0 advantage from first leg, so Rabotnicki will be visiting them on 28th of July on Cyprus, with the return leg on 4th of August in Skopje.

Rabotnicki remains the only Macedonian representative in Europe, but will need to step up in their play if they are to beat Anorthosis as well. The Cypriot team showed weakness by losing to Georgian side Gagra, so Rabotnicki does not have a mission impossible in front of them.

National Arena Philip II of Macedon in Skopje, Macedonia
Referee: Szabó Sándor (Hungary)
Scorers: Manevski 35′, Petkovski 50′, Petrovik 56′
Red cards: /
Yellow cards: Petkovski 51′ ; Casadei 72′
Rabotnicki: Dimitrievski; Lazarevski, Stojanov, Kumbev, Todorovski; Vujčić, Velkovski, Petrovik (60′ Avramovski); Manevski, Velkoski (75′ Micevski), Petkovski (61′ Trajkovski)
Juvenes/Dogana: Gobbi, Cavalli, Frino, Ceci (85′ Stefanelli, Cervellini, Santini (77′ Zafferani), Caminati, Bacciocchi, Colombini (59′ Casadei), Friguglietti, Selva.