Zvezda beat Napredak 1-0 in Kruševac and claimed three points from another diffficult away match. John Jairo Ruiz's second half strike proved the winner in a nervous game at Mladost Stadium.
Ground: Mladost
Attendance: 9.000
Referee: Vlado Glođović
Goalscorer: Ruiz 69'
Teams:
Napredak: Petrović, Ndiaye, Leković, Projić, Miladinović, Simonović, Šljivić, Gobeljić, Markoski, Petrović, Vukanović.
Substitutes: Janković, Jovović, Punoševac, Vulić, Beljić, Frimpong, Varga.
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Petković, Luković, Le Tallec, Anđelković, Donald, Poletanović, Ristić, Plavšić, Ruiz, Sikimić.
Substitutes: Supić, Cvetković, Phibel, Andrija Luković, Srnić, Vieira, Orlandić.
The match itself was sadly marred by a serious injury to our captain Aleksandar Luković. He landed awkwardly on his arm after an aerial duel which resulted in elbow ligament damage. It looked like a broken arm at first and was a shocking sight for the fans.
Napredak started the match with attacking mentality and created more chances, but none were good enough to really test Manojlović. Zvezda, on the other hand, came close after Ristić cross was met by Ruiz. The Costa Rica forward's header was brilliantly saved by Petrović.
After the break home team looked even more determined and they kept pushing Zvezda. Our players seemed somewhat distraught and couldn't find their feet for long periods of play.
But our defence looked solid and managed to protect the goal and keep Crvena zvezda in the match.
Miodrag Božović made two more substitutions in a bid to improve the team's offence, sending Srnić and Orlandić on in place of Plavšić and Ristić.
The Belgrade team took the lead on 69 minutes when John Ruiz hit the target from around 20 meters out with an unstoppable shot.
Zvezda had chances to double the lead and effectively end the match, but Srnić and Ruiz couldn't find that crucial second goal. Božović's men were nearly punished late on, but young goalkeeper Manojlović proved his class once again and helped his team hold on to the slender lead with a crucial save.
On the other end Sikimić tried a few shots but never got close to getting himself on the scoresheet.
Fortunately, the visitors held on in the final minutes and secured another important away win. It finished 1-0 to Crvena zvezda in a very straining match. Well done, Crvena zvezda!