Vardar defeated the defending champions Shkendija 2:0 in the big derby and first game of Round 9.
After a goalless first half, Vardar scored twice in the second half to claim three valuable points. Brazilian international Paulo Cândido Serafim da Cruz, or simply Lico, opened the scoring in the 58th minute and brought joy to the home fans. Then, Shkendija put some pressure to tie the score but instead Vardar scored another goal. It was striker Filip Ivanovski who netted six minutes from time to cement Vardar’s win.
Vardar is still undefeated after 9 games with seven wins and two draws and is currently at the top of the table, having three more points than Metalurg who plays later today against Bregalnica in Stip. Meanwhile, Shkendija suffered their third defeat this season and is now 5 points behind Vardar.