Crvena zvezda have beaten Radnik in Surdulica for the second time this season. This time the win is even more convincing than the one last autumn: 4-1 to Zvezda.
Venue: FK Radnik Stadium
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Novak Simović (Lovćenac)
Goalscorers: Radnik: Deletić 10' – Crvena zvezda: Katai 30' and 45', Hugo Vieira 56', Orlandić 89'
Teams:
Radnik: Ristić, Milovanović, Vuković, Simonović, F Stojanović, Arsić, S Stojanović, Mutavdžić, Putinčanin, Deletić, Marković.
Subs: Vasiljević, Vučetić, Jovanović, Radovanović, Owusu, N Stojanović, Pavlović.
Crvena zvezda: Kahriman, Petković, Luković, Rndulić, Anđelković, Le Tallec, Ristić, Plavšić, Srnić, Katai, Vieira.
Subs: Stanković, Cvetković, Edson, Račić, Babunski, Gavrić, Orlandić.
The poor weather with a lot of rain in Serbia was the reason few people expected to see a game of free-flowing football in Surdulica today. But the players seemed inspired by the sunshine that found its way through the clouds just before kick-off. Radnik and Zvezda played some fantastic football today.
It was the home team that started the match better and they took the lead on 10 minutes. Aleksandar Luković was caught dwelling on the ball and Miloš Deletić took advanage, dispossesing our captain and finishing easily past Damir Kahriman.
This was a wake-up call for the red-and-whites who then took full control of the game. Our team created a few half-chances, but Srnić, Ristić, Le Tallec, Plavšić and Vieira couldn't make the attacks count.
The equalizer finally came on 30 minutes when Aleksandar Katai swept a Mihailo Ristić cross home from close range. The same duo combined again on the stroke of halftime to put Zvezda in front. Ristić layed a ball off for Katai on the edge of the area and our Number 10 took a touch before firing an unstoppable low, left-footed shot in the bottom-left corner of the Radnik goal.
Zvezda never looked like surrending the lead after the break. In fact, it was increased on 56 minutes when Hugo Vieira scored a real striker's goal after a Srđan Plavšić's long range effort was blocked.
With our team cruising, Miodrag Božović first brought on Gavrić and Orlandić on for Srnić and Vieira. A few minutes later Božović made another substitution, handing a Crvena zvezda debut to the young Uroš Račić, who replaced the excellent Aleksandar Katai. The Montenegrin striker Petar Orlandić made it 4-1 late in the game after being set up nicely by Damien Le Tallec.
This wrapped up our second win in this season's Play-off stage. The champions have another two matches to play in this great campaign.