Recap
This will be the third and final match of the Macedonia Trophy international tournament in Ohrid.
Croatia opened the tournament with a 20-20 draw against Montenegro before producing a convincing 28-15 victory over Serbia in their second game. They now face North Macedonia, who also defeated Serbia but suffered a clear 23-29 loss to Montenegro yesterday.
The hosts enter the final game with significant personnel concerns. Head coach Markovic is already dealing with several injured players, while yesterday’s match brought another major setback as one of the team’s key defensive players, Kolarovska, suffered an injury and will be unavailable today.
Markovic was also candid at the press conference, acknowledging the quality gap between the teams: “Croatia is a physically strong opponent, and we have to be realistic about the fact that, at this moment, we are behind them.”
With Croatia showing greater consistency throughout the tournament and North Macedonia dealing with multiple absences – particularly in defense, Croatia have a strong opportunity to impose their physical advantage and secure a comfortable victory.