Zvezda responded well after midweek's heavy defeat in Italy and put five goals past FK Radnik to remain top of the League.
Ground: „Rajko Mitić“
Attendance: 3,352
Referee: Aleksandar Vasić (Novi Žednik)
Goalscorers: Luković 36' (pen), Orlandić 41', 78', Srnić 74', Sikimić 88'
Teams:
Crvena zvezda: Kahriman, Petković, Aleksandar Luković, Rendulić, Anđelković, Le Tallec, Kanga, Babunski, Srnić, Katai, Orlandić.
Substitutes: Supić, Cvetković, Ristić, Račić, Andrija Luković, Poletanović, Sikimić.
Radnik: Čančarević, Mladenović, Milovanović, Stanković, Francis, Radović, Pavlović, Gojković, Pejčić, Vuković, Zlatanović.
Substitutes: Vasiljević, Stojković, Adamović, Nenadović, Jovanović, Mišan, Planić.
Miodrag Božović made significant changes to the team that was beaten by Sassuolo on Thursday, but Radnik were no match for the red-and-whites. It’s a shame only 3,352 turned up to see the champions score five goals.
The visitors had the first chance after three minutes and it proved to be their last of the day. Our defenders gifted the ball to the opponents, but they couldn’t beat Kahriman.
Crvena zvezda were ahead after 36 minutes when Aleksandar Luković converted a penalty after a foul on Marko Petković. Zvezda players never looked back and were 2-0 up before the break. Petar Orlandić tapped in after a low cross by Dušan Anđelković.
Radnik tried to contain the rampant hosts and were doing pretty well until the 74th minute. Slavoljub Srnić was full of running and his movement enabled him to get on the scoresheet after a blocked Orlandić shot. And it was the Montenegrin striker who scored again just four minutes later when he finished calmly past Čančarević after a lovely ball by Guélor Kanga.
And substitute Predrag Sikimić scored to make it 5-0 late in the game with a simple close-range finish with Srnić providing a fine assist.
Next up for Miodrag Božović’s men is the Europa League Play-off second leg versus U. S. Sassuolo Calcio on Thursday. Good luck, Zvezda!