A significantly rotated Crvena zvezda starting eleven didn't display flowing football on a wet Sunday in Belgrade, but still had too much for OFK Bačka. Pešić, Frimpong and Račić scored in a 3-1 win over the visitors from Bačka Palanka.
Ground: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 12,400
Referee:
Goalscorers: Pešić 38', Frimpong 54', Račić 86' – Čeković 82'
Teams:
Crvena zvezda: Borjan, Gobeljić, Frimpong, Babić, Anđelković, Milijaš, Račić, Milić, Ricardinho, Adžić, Pešić
Substitutions: Kahriman, Kanga, Ilić, Savić, Vučićević, Radonjić, Boakye
Bačka: Jevrić, Nikolić, Varga, Ilić, Klisura, Živković, Makarić, Luković, Račić, Trivunović, Spremo
Substitutions: Lučić, Mićić, Ivković, Švonja, Čeković, Slijepčević, Đorić
After a convincing midweek win at Radnik Surdulica, the team was presented with an opportunity to make it three league wins in a week at home. Vladan Milojević’s men didn’t disappoint and they maintained a 100% record in this season’s Superliga.
Zvezda lacked the final ball and the slick passing, but were able to open the scoring just in time to prevent any nerves creeping in. Pešić headed home on 38 minutes with a little help from the visiting defenders and Abraham Frimpong poked past Jevrić to double the lead ten minutes after the break.
The visitors earned a lot of admiration for their second-half performance as they tried to attack fearlessly despite the result looking grim. And they got their award on 82 minutes after a mazy run and finish by Čeković that beat Borjan and denied Crvena zvezda what would have been eighth clean sheet in succession.
Uroš Račić restored a two-goal cushion just four minutes later, though and banished any nerves. Babić had hit the woodwork after a Nenad Milijaš corner, but Račić was there tu tuck the rebound away and record his first-ever senior goal.
Next up for our team is a trip to Russia to face FC Krasnodar in the Europa League play-off on Thursday.