Crvena zvezda secured a hard-fought win at Borac Čačak on Saturday. Predrag Sikimić scored the only goal of the match to secure three points for his team ahead of the upcoming international break.
Ground: FK Borac Stadium
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Milorad Mažić (Vrbas)
Goalscorer: Sikimić 72'
Teams:
Borac: Aleksić, Marčić, Kostić, Maslać, Drašković, Galvao, Delić, Tanasin, Mihajlović, Zoćević, Jovanović.
Substitutes: Mišić, Obradović, Sajčić, Savić, Stanković, Propadalo, Anđelković.
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Petković, Rendulić, Le Tallec, Anđelković, Donald, Poletanović, Plavšić, Ruiz, Sikimić, Orlandić.
Substitutes: Supić, Cvetković, Phibel, Andrija Luković, Račić, Srnić, Vieira.
The home team was very defensive-orientated in the first half and they largely managed to frustrate the champions. Miodrag Božović's players couldn't get on the scoresheet, but there were good chances for Petar Orlandić. He came close on 15 minutes when his header struck the crossbar after a Marko Poletanović corner. He had also shot off target twice when presented with good positions. Borac, on the other hand, had no attempts of note.
But after the break, both teams came out in search of a goal and Borac's ex-Zvezda striker Stefan Mihajlović was a handful for the visitors. At the other end, there was a good attack by Crvena zvezda, but Sikimić couldn't get on the end of a very good Srđan Plavšić cross.
Miodrag Božović sent Vieira and Srnić on for Orlandić and Ruiz midway through the second half and it proved a good decision. It was Slavoljub Srnić who darted down the right flank and sent a pinpoint cross for Sikimić, who had an easy task to beat Aleksić and give Zvezda the crucial lead.
Zvezda kept the ball well for the remainder of the match and prevented any late drama and held on to big three points that keep the reigning champions top of the league.