Preview: Borec Veles vs. Kozuv Gevgelija in North Macedonia Second League

VELES, North Macedonia (Interstat) — A pair of sides riding positive form will meet Friday when Borec Veles hosts Kozuv Gevgelija in a Week 5 matchup of the North Macedonian Second League’s North division.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. local time at Stadion Zoran Paunov.

The home side, Borec, enters following a thrilling 4-3 road defeat to Vardar Skopje last Thursday. Despite the loss, the match continued a trend of high-scoring affairs for Borec, which has seen 11 total goals in its last three outings. Prior to the Vardar clash, Borec secured a 2-1 home victory over Teteks on April 4 and a 2-1 road win at Fortuna Skopje last December.

Borec will look to leverage home-field advantage, where it is undefeated this season in league play.

The visiting Kozuv Gevgelija squad arrives with momentum from a 2-0 home victory over Detonit Plachkovica on April 9. That win extended its unbeaten run to three matches across all competitions, including a 1-0 road win at Ohrid Lihnidos on April 5 and a 2-1 home win over Tikvesh last December.

Their season, however, opened with a pair of 2-0 losses to top-flight side Shkupi in the Macedonian Cup back in September.

Statistical projections suggest a tightly contested match. The Interstat game simulator predicts a 1-1 draw. Conversely, the same outlet’s ELO rating system gives Borec a slight edge, projecting a 54.70% probability of a home victory.

The match pits Borec’s potent attack against a Kozuv Gevgelija defense that has posted consecutive clean sheets in league play. The result could see either side climb the early-season table in the North division.

Friday’s forecast in Veles calls for partly cloudy skies with a high near 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit).