Crvena zvezda drew 2-2 with Mladost at Rajko Mitić Stadium in a nervy match.
Ground: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Nemanja Petković (Belgrade)
Goalscorers: Anđelković 35', Orlandić 54' - Jovanović 11', Radivojević 69'
Teams:
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Petković, Le Tallec, Phibel, Anđelković, Donald, Poletanović, Račić, Plavšić, Srnić, Orlandić.
Substitutes: Supić, Cvetković, Stojanović, Milošević, Andrija Luković, Adžić, Sikimić.
Mladost: Krznarić, Andrić, Protić, Milošević, Šatara, Tumbasević, Radivojević, Milosavljević, Jovanović, Bojović, Golubović.
Substitutes: Rosić, Pešić, Saničanin, Rakočević, Zvrko, Gavrić, Vailant.
Crvena zvezda had an opportunity to go eight points clear at the top of the Superliga table with a win over Mladost after their rivals Vojvodina and Partizan could only draw the day before in Novi Sad. But the visitors from Lučani had other ideas as they arrived to Belgrade ready for a fight.
The first chance of the match fell for Petar Orlandić early on, but Mladost goalkeeper Nemanja Krznarić did well to rush out and deny the Montenegrin striker.
Mladost took the lead on 11 minutes after a counter-attack. Stefan Golubović passed well for Saša Jovanović who outrun Zvezda defenders and beat Manojlović.
Visitors chose to retreat and wait for further opportunities. But Zvezda played with patience and were awarded ten minute before the break when Dušan Anđelković scored an impressive solo effort after a great run that started from his left-back position.
Second half started with a sickening injury to Zvezda's Srđan Plavšić. The little midfielder was stretched off after a terrible two-footed lunge by Radomir Milosavljević. Mladost's midfielder was sent off, but only because this was his second booking. It really should have been a straight red, but referee Nemanja Petković surprisingly didn't see it that way.
Soon after the incident, Crvena zvezda were ahead. Poletanović turned on the right byline and delivered a perfect cross for Orlandić who had an easy task of heading home. It was 2-1 to Zvezda, Mladost were left with only ten men and it looked like it was going to be a fairly routine win for the home team.
But Nenad Milovanović and his Mladost team don't give up and they managed to level the score on 69 minutes after yet another swift counter-attack. Milan Bojović released Vladimir Radivojević down the left wing and the midfielder run unchallenged and finished past Manojlović from the edge of the box to make it 2-2.
Miodrag Božović's players tried to find another goal, but the visitors defended well and limited the champions to long-range efforts that were dealt with easily by goalkeeper Nemanja Krznarić.
The match finished 2-2 which will probably disappoint the fans, but there will be a chance to return to winning ways on Sunday as Zvezda make the short trip to FK Voždovac.