Vardar Edge Out Pelister in Epic Macedonian Derby
The biggest Macedonian handball derby belonged to Vardar! Ivan Čupić’s team celebrated in the most important clash of the fifth round of the domestic Super League against Eurofarm Pelister with a 31:28 (16:14) victory, further cementing their place at the top of the standings as the only side with a 100% record. On the other hand, the reigning champions from Bitola failed once again to win in the capital at the start of the season, having previously drawn at “Autokomanda” against Alkaloid.
The home side had the lead for most of the match, and even the early red card for Vuko Borozan in the 12th minute, after a hit to Filip Kuzmanovski’s head, did not disrupt Čupić’s men. Driven by the support from the stands, in a match that lasted a full two hours, the red-and-blacks took the decisive edge when Polish goalkeeper Miloš Valah saved a penalty from Dejan Manaskov with a +2 lead just three minutes before the end. Filip Taleski then sealed the victory with two goals in the final two minutes, triggering celebrations.
The top scorer of the derby was Dejan Manaskov with nine goals for the losing side. For Vardar, Nikolas Bono, Junior Tuzolana, and Jaka Malus stood out with six goals each. Among the goalkeepers, Miloš Valah recorded nine saves in the second half, while Nikola Mitrevski finished the game with eight saves for Pelister.
RESULTS:
Alkaloid – Prilep 47:21
Butel Skopje – Eurofarm Pelister 2 36:29
Ohrid – Tikvesh 24:19
Struga – Radovis 27:24
Tinex Prolet Skopje – Kumanovo 24:22
Vardar 1961 – Eurofarm Pelister 31:28
