Crvena zvezda beat TSC 3-1 in a thrilling match in Senta in which Milan Pavkov again proved a supersub for Dejan Stanković's side.
Ground: Gradski stadion
Referee: Novak Simović.
Goalscorers: Lukić 58 (pen) - Pavkov 54, 71, Kanga 68 (pen)
TSC: Filipović, Petković, Damjanović, Babić, Petrović, Stanojev (76 Tumbasević), Tomanović, Banjac (76 Ratkov), Zec, Lukić (84 Milićević), Đakovac (Tomašević).
Substitutes not used: Tomašević, Milićević, Tumbasović, Ratkov.
Crvena zvezda: Borjan, Gajić, Milunović, Degenek, Rodić (77 Gobeljić), Sanogo, Petrović (46 Srnić), Nikolić (46 Kanga), Ivanić (77 Pankov), Katai (46 Pavkov), Ben.
Substitutes not used: Popović, Odada, Srnić, Vukanović.
It was one of those efentful matches that offers relentless action on all parts of the pitch and the kind you'd really hate losing. Dejan Stanković's team showed great character and kept on going even when they were reduced to ten men.
Judging by the events in the first half, it looked like the match was going to end in a goalless draw or perhaps be settled by a single goal. But the second 45 minutes were thrilling.
Milan Pavkov got off the bench to try and force a goal with his physical presence and natural goalscoring instinct and once again it paid off for the red and whites. Pavkov got on the end of a low Mirko Ivanić's squared pass and poked in from close range to finally break the deadlock on 54 minutes. But the game didn't slow down . in fact it got rather crazy.
Milan Gajić was penalised for bringing down Đuro Zec in the box. Since he was the last man, referee Simović gave the former Bordeaux defender his marching orders and Zvezda were left with ten men. Nenad Lukić made no mistake from the spot and made it 1-1 just four minutes after Pavkov's opener.
Our team falled back to trying to get an unlikely goal by sending hopeful long balls forward and one of those proved fruitful. Ivanić controlled the ball and was fouled by Saša Tomanović. It was another penalty. Tomanović kept on talking to the referee and was shown his second yellow of the game. The teams were again level in terms of number of players on the pitch, but they weren't level on goals for long. Guelor Kanga dispatched the resulting penalty kick and made it 2-1 to the champions. The Gabonese was so happy that he ran into Dejan Stanković's embrace on the touchline.
Milan Pavkov made sure he was in most headlines after the match as he bagged another goal just three minutes later when he directed a Slavoljub Srnić cross into the net to give his team a two-goal cushion and ensure a somewhat calmer ending to this match.