Struga will host Slovan Bratislava at the Stadion Biljanini Izvori on Wednesday night for the second leg of their first-round Champions League qualifying clash.
The Macedonian side aims to overturn a two-goal deficit after Slovan Bratislava secured a 4-2 victory in the first leg. This preview covers predictions, team news, and form heading into this crucial match.
Team Form
Struga
Struga's attempt to qualify for Europe's premier competition is only their second in history, and they face an uphill battle.
Despite a valiant effort in the first leg, where they managed to level the score twice, they eventually fell to two late goals.
Their Champions League form has been less than impressive, having failed to win in any of their three previous matches in the competition.
However, they have a strong home record, having amassed 38 of their 64 points at the Stadion Biljanini Izvori last season.
Slovan Bratislava
The Slovak side, Slovan Bratislava, come into this match with a two-goal advantage.
They have a mixed record in away fixtures in the Champions League, losing 10 of their 20 away games in previous qualifying campaigns.
However, they have been strong in domestic competitions, losing just 13 times away from home in the last six seasons in the Slovak Super Liga.
They aim to capitalize on their lead and progress further in the competition.
Team News
Struga
Struga will likely stick with a similar lineup to the first leg, given their strong performance despite the loss.
Besart Ibraimi, who scored twice in the first leg, is expected to lead the attack alongside Marjan Radeski.
Stefan Spirovski may also start after his impactful performance as a substitute in the first match.
Possible Starting Lineup: Dujmovic; Radic, Ristevski, Krivanjeva; Vlajkovic, Jevtoski, Spirovski, Vosha; Shabani; Radeski, Ibraimi
Slovan Bratislava
Slovan Bratislava are likely to maintain their successful 4-5-1 formation from the first leg.
Key players Vladimir Weiss, Robert Mak, and Juraj Kucka, who were instrumental in their victory, are expected to start.
David Strelec, despite not scoring in the first leg, remains a significant threat.
Possible Starting Lineup: Trnovsky; Pauschek, Kashia, Bajric, Wimmer; Mak, Tolic, Savvidis, Kucka, Weiss; Strelec
Prediction
While Struga showed resilience in the first leg, the overall quality of Slovan Bratislava is expected to shine through once again.
We predict a closely contested match with Slovan Bratislava edging out Struga 2-1, securing a 6-3 aggregate victory and progressing to the next round of Champions League qualifying.
Our Prediction: Struga 1-2 Slovan Bratislava (Slovan Bratislava win 6-3 on aggregate)
