Struga vs Tirana

Struga started the brighter of the two sides in the opening friendly of their pre-season preparations under head coach Bledi Shkëmbi. The Macedonian First League champions took a deserved lead through forward Valentin Koçoski, who finished smartly after a well-worked move.

KF Tirana grew into the contest as the first half progressed and equalised before the interval. The Albanian outfit found the net with a strike that levelled the scores at 1-1 going into the break.

After the restart, Tirana came out with renewed purpose and took the lead for the first time, making it 2-1 with a well-taken goal. Struga responded through Hristijan Maleski, who restored parity at 2-2 with a composed finish, reward for the home side's resilience.

Just as the game appeared destined for a draw, Tirana capitalised on a defensive lapse in the Struga backline to score a third and decisive goal. The visitors held firm through the closing stages to secure the win.

Struga's defensive mistake that gifted Tirana their third goal proved the decisive moment. After Maleski's equaliser had swung momentum back towards the hosts, the concession from a defensive error shifted the game decisively in the Albanian side's favour. Struga had no response in the final minutes.

• Valentin Koçoski (Struga) — Opened the scoring with a composed finish and looked lively throughout. A bright start to pre-season for the Struga forward.
• Hristijan Maleski (Struga) — Came off the bench (according to Struga's match report using two different XIs) and scored the equaliser at 2-2. Made a strong case for a starting role.
• KF Tirana's goalscorers — Specific names were not confirmed in available sources at the time of writing, but the Albanian side's three goals came from different players across both halves.

The match finished 2-3 with both halves producing goals — 1-1 at the break and 1-2 in the second period. Struga's official report noted that head coach Bledi Shkëmbi used two completely different XIs across the two halves, fielding mostly younger players in the first 45 minutes and more experienced regulars after the interval. Tirana's edge in cohesion and clinical finishing told, especially after Struga's defensive lapse for the winner.

This was the first pre-season friendly of summer 2026 for both clubs. For Struga (Macedonian First League champions), the match served as their opening test under coach Bledi Shkëmbi. They used 22 players across two XIs. Their next pre-season fixture is against Sileks on 2 July 2026.

For KF Tirana, the 24-time Albanian champions and most successful club in the country's history, this was a useful workout ahead of the new Abissnet Superiore season, which typically begins in August. The result extends Tirana's unbeaten run in friendlies against Struga, having also beaten them 2-1 in the previous meeting.

A competitive pre-season opener that offered both coaches the data they wanted. Struga showed promise through Koçoski and Maleski but defensive concentration remains a work in progress. Tirana's superior experience and ruthlessness in front of goal proved the difference. Full evaluation will come once both sides are closer to full match sharpness.