Crvena zvezda ran out comfortable winners in Bačka Palanka, beating Bačka 3-0 on a day when home team finished the match with just nine men.
Ground: Bačka Palanka Stadium
Attendance: 1.500
Referee: Milan Ilić (Ćuprija)
Goalscorers: Boakye 5', 38', Adžić 91'.
Teams:
Bačka: Konovalov, Nikolić, Vidović, Ilić, Klisura, Balabanović, Luković, Makarić, Stepanović, Macanović, Čeković.
Substitutes: Jevrić, Bošković, Varga, Trivunović, Ivković, Bismark, Zečević.
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Petković, Luković, Frimpong, Anđelković, Donald, Le Tallec, Kanga, Ruiz, Plavšić, Boakye.
Substitutes: Supić, Milijaš, Poletanović, Srnić, Adžić, Milić, Sikimić.
Crvena zvezda started the match brightly and it.took them just five minutes to open the scoring. Guélor Kanga played a nice pass behind the Bačka defenders and into the path of Boakye who finished cooly from eight meters out to open his Crvena zvezda account.
Ghanaian striker nearly doubled the lead just minutes later, but his header wasn't good enough. Another easy chance came his way midway though the first half, but he shot off target with goal at his mercy.
But red-and-whites kept the attacking momentum and were 2-0 up after Richmond Boakye's 38th-minute finish from yet another Kanga assist. Inspired Bačka goalkeeper Konovalov did well to keep Le Tallec, Anđelković and Petković, but the former Juventus forward was clinical.
Miodrag Božović's side were awarded a penalty on 51 minutes after a Klisura foul in the box. Klisura was also sent off after being booked twice. But Mitchell Donald's penalty wasn't good enough as Dutchman hit the post.
Bačka were reduced to nine men on 65 minutes when Macanović received his second booking for arguing with referee Milan Ilić. The second sending off virtually ended the match as Bačka players had seemingly given up.
Božović brought Nenad Milijaš, Nemanja Milić and Luka Adžić, but the tempo of the match was noticably slower compared the first half.
But with time running out, Crvena zvezda fans were given a treat of seeing another pretty goal by youngster Luka Adžić. Anđelković's strong shot was saved by the feet of diving Konovalov, but Adžić reacted well and tucked the rebound home with a beautiful scissor kick.
The match finished with Crvena zvezda running out 3-0 winners. The red-and-whites now have to prepare for next Saturday and another Belgrade Eternal Derby.