Maltese national coach John Buttigieg said today that he expects a difficult match against Macedonia tomorrow as the national team plays its first match of the new season.

The friendly, at Ta' Qali, will enable the team to better prepare for its Euro qualifiers against Israel and Latvia next month.

Mr Buttigieg declared himself satisfied with pre-season preparations but said the match will be a difficult one, with Macedonia including several players who play with major European teams such as Inter striker Pandev.

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