Red Star sink Partizan in semi-final opener
Reuters - Wednesday 21 March 2012, 21:01
Goals in either half by
youngsters Luka Milunovic and Filip Kasalica gave Red Star
Belgrade a 2-0 win over city rivals Partizan in an entertaining
first leg of their Serbian Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
The defeat is likely to pile more pressure on Partizan coach
Avram Grant after the former Chelsea manager had come under fire
from the fans and media following two league draws against
modest opposition.
Champions and cup holders Partizan have since won two league
games to stay six points clear of Red Star in the 16-team first
division but losing to their bitter foes in the first real test
of Grant's credentials will have done the Israeli no favours.
"It was a strange game because we created many good chances
but when you don't score you get punished and we paid the price
for the mistakes we made at the back," a grim-looking Grant told
a news conference.
"I congratulate them for their victory but it's not over
yet, we still have a chance to overcome the deficit in the
return leg on our turf," he said.
Grant's 4-5-1 formation stifled Red Star's midfield but
Partizan were punished for missing a hatful of opportunities as
the 1991 European Cup winners scored two opportunist goals to
delight their half of a raucous 45,000 crowd.
Midfielder Milunovic, who joined Red Star from Belgian side
Zulte Waregem in January, fired the home side ahead in the 19th
minute with his third goal in as many games for the club when he
threaded the ball past goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic.
The 19-year old finished with some aplomb after fellow
signing Luka Milivojevic pounced on a defensive blunder and
delivered a defence-splitting pass through the middle.
POOR FINISHING
Partizan dominated after falling behind but striker Lamine
Diarra and captain Sasa Ilic failed to convert gilt-edged
chances.
Diarra volleyed over the bar and then hit the post from
close range before he and Vukic left Ilic with only the keeper
to beat in the 54th minute, but the 34-year old playmaker
scuffed his shot from 10 metres wide of the far post.
Diarra failed to get a clean connection on Nemanja Tomic's
teasing cross from the right before Red Star took advantage of
another defensive error in the 76th minute, when substitute
Kasalica was on target.
The striker, who is yet to start a game for Red Star after
joining them in January from first division rivals Sloboda
Sevojno, shook off a defender tugging his shirt and gave former
Red Star keeper Stojkovic no chance with his clinical finish.
The match was played under tight security amid fears of
crowd trouble but apart from dozens of flares lit by both sets
of fans on the terraces, the fixture which has a history of
violence was incident-free.
"We had a fair share of luck and we still have a lot of room
for improvement but this is a morale-boosting win which will
also instill a new level of confidence ahead of the title
run-in," said Red Star coach Robert Prosinecki.
"Partizan dominated long spells of the match but credit to
my team which included five derby debutants because we showed
character and resilience," he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Vojvodina Novi Sad were held to a 0-0
draw at Borac Cacak in the first leg of the other semi.