Crvena zvezda made a firm step towards UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round with a well-deserved 3-0 win over FK Sūduva Marijampolė of Lithuania.
Ground: Rajko Mitić Stadium
Attendance: 23,218
Referee: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Goalscorers: Ebecilio 23', Radonjić 35',58'
Teams:
Crvena zvezda: Borjan, Stojković, Savić, Degenek, Rodić, Krstičić, Jovičić, Milić, Ebecilio, Radonjić, Ben.
Substitutes: Popović, Meleg, Babić, Pavkov, Jovančić, Jevtović, Gobeljić.
FK Sūduva Marijampolė: Kardum, Švrljuga, Leimonas, Jankauskas, Živanović, Slavickas, Acevedo, Matulevičius, Verbickas, Topčagić, Cicilia.
Substitutes: Aleksandrov-Ridley, Činikas, Gaiduchik, Isoda, Finkler, Dybal, Vėževičius.
Vladan Milojević's team grabbed control of the game right from minute one and looked to exploit the fact that the visitors' back line was sligtly higher than expected.
Breakthough came on 23 minutes with a lovely curled goal from Lorenzo Ebecilio. Our Dutch playmaked controled the ball after a Zvezda corner and let fly from outside the area and beyond Ivan Kardum.
Miloš Degenek could double the lead minutes later, but his header went wide of the post.
Nemanja Radonjić was on hand to tap in after Nemanja Milić had hit the post after another blistering Zvezda move down the right flank.
Nenad Krstičić was forced off through injury just before the break and was replaced by Dušan Jovančić as the rain turned into a right downpour in Belgrade.
But the fans in the North Stand didn't mind as they continued to sing in the rain and create a half time show of their own.
Second half was all Zvezda as Lithuanian team struggled to cope with our intensity.
Nemanja Radonjić nearly lifted the roof off Marakana when he scored the goal of the match on 58 minutes. He controled the ball with a marvelous turn and took another couple of touches before unleashing an absolute rocket into the top corner to make it 3-0 amid wild celebrations.
Third goal effectively ended the match with Vladan Milojević's team apparently happy with a three-goal cuchion and visitors largely inept in their attempts to mount a useful counter-attack.
Final whistle brought a huge applause as the team produced the best performance of the season so far.
Second leg will be played on Wednesday, 1 August at ARVI Football Arena.