Struga vs Tikves Prediction: Derby of the round in Macedonia

The new season, the 34th in the history of the First Macedonian Football League, begins today with six matches of the first round. Struga Trim Lum will defend the title they won two years in a row, but they will probably have a much more difficult task this season than the previous year. Tikves, last season Cup’s winner also have big ambitions for this season. This match between the champion and Cup winner is certainly the derby of the round.

Form: LWLLW

The champion was left without their best player, Besart Ibraimi, who returned to Shkendia, and it is Shkendia that are one of the favorites for the highest ranking. Tetovcani have a plan on how to get the trophy back, and they believe that Ibrahimi is the missing piece of the puzzle for that. The manager of Struga TL, Qatip Osmani, believes that the team is still in a good position with the new reinforcements to fight for the title again in the new season. The champion brought in nine new players, and according to Osmani, some of them have already fully adapted, while some still need some time to fully "integrate" into the lineup.

Form: LWDLW

Tikves had a historic last season in which they won the Cup and went to Europe for the first time, and now they want the excellent form of the last season, to the new season. However, a top 3 finish might seem a little too ambitious for this team, so they will try to make a surprise in the Cup and play in some Euro competition next season. They kept all the important players, so a stable middle-table finish is a realistic goal.

Anything else but s home win will be a huge surprise in this match. Struga are too strong for Tikves, and they won the last three official matches in this stadium against Tikves. I expect a dominant play from the champion and a match with many goals.