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Partizani for "life or death", coach Gega receives the bad news

2025-04-25 21:10:00, Sport CNA

On Sunday, at the “Arena e Demave”, Partizani will play the most important match of the season, perhaps even the most important in recent years. A season that had started with great ambitions, with claims for the title and goals to go as far as possible in the Cup, has turned into a journey full of disappointments and unexpected turns. It all comes to take the form of a season that could end in total failure if the “red bulls” do not manage to defeat Elbasan and secure a place in the “Final 4”, which opens the way to Europe.

Things have not gone according to plan for Partizan. After a relatively stable first phase that kept them in the upper zone of the standings, the last few months have been a gradual decline. The Reds were eliminated from the Cup after an upset by Egnatia, missing one of the fastest routes back to the European arena. Before that, it was the defeat to Bylis that dropped them from fourth place and for the first time in the entire championship knocked them out of the “Final 4”.

Now, every hope and objective depends on a direct confrontation with Elbasan, a team that comes in excellent form, full of confidence and that on paper has the advantage of direct results. With the same points quota as Partizan, a draw is enough for Elbasan to secure fourth place and go to the final stage.

In addition to the immense psychological pressure, coach Skënder Gega must also deal with an alarming injury situation. The last match against Egnatia brought not only the elimination, but also two new important absences: Janjeva and Mehmeti left the field injured and in all likelihood will not be ready for the duel against Elbasan. Buxhelaj, who missed that challenge, also remains a big question mark, while Zeka has officially ended the season.

In such a situation, Gega is expected to be forced to improvise again, to combine the remaining elements to build a competitive formation that will keep the hopes of the red fans alive. With Elbasan having become one of the most stable teams of the second half of the season, victory seems a difficult challenge.