Crvena zvezda grabbed a convincing 6-1 victory over FK Rad at Rajko Mitić Stadium in a match where battling visitors couldn’t find a way to stop our striking duo of Aleksandar Pešić and Richmond Boakye.
Ground: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 12,600
Referee: Petar Piper
Goalscorers: Pešić 4', 54', Boakye20' (pen), 26', 63', 83' - Lutovac 41'
Teams:
Crvena zvezda: Borjan, Stojković, Le Tallec, Babić, Gobeljić, Rodić, Donald, Kanga, Milić, Pešić, Boakye.
Substitutes: Supić, Savić, Anđelković, Račić, Milijaš, Adžić, Radonjić.
Rad: Dejanović, Ljubinković, Denić, Lutovac, Šipčić, Petrović, Vico, Zonjić, Tanasijević, Ajković, Milošev.
Substitutes: Marković, Guzina, Mladenović, Mijailović, Lukić, Grbović, Stojanović.
It was one of those games where an early goal makes the job a lot easier and Zvezda stormed to a 4th-minute lead after Boakye played Pešić in for an easy finish.
Rad were left with ten men after 20 minutes after Ajković has been protesting a penalty decision a little too eagerly. Boakye dispatched the penalty to double the lead.
Zvezda were 3-0 up just six minutes later after a devastating Red Star counter attack. Pešić returned the favour to Boakye and the Ghanaian finished to pretty much end the contest before the half hour mark.
Rad wouldn’t give up, however and they made the most out of a blip in Zvezda’s concentration on 41 minutes to mount a quick break that Lutovac finished one-on-one.
Our strikers weren’t quite so forgiving and they made sure Rad are soundly beaten. After the break there were three more Zvezda goals without reply.
Pešić chested the ball over the line on 54 minutes after a drilled cross from Milan Rodić.
Boakye completed his double brace with a couple of strikes to make it 6-1.
This empathic win should give the team a boost ahead of an important trip to Belarus in the UEFA Europa League.
Well done, boys!