Crvena zvezda are through to the UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round after a nervy draw at Floriana FC.
Ground: Hibernians Stadium
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Geogios Kizaz (Grčka)
Goalscorers: Pisani (pen) 45', Vella 76', Varela 83' - Boakye 12', 70', Milijaš 75'
Teams:
Floriana: Grech, Baldacchino, Pepe, Pisani, Borg, Varela, Nayar, Vella, Cabral, Henrique, Fontanella.
Substitutes: Haber, Stensen, Spiteri, Zarb, Agius, Nyason, Chiesa.
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Stojković, Frimpong, Savić, Anđelković, Le Tallec, Račić, Milić, Srnić, Ricardinho, Boaći.
Substitutes: Kahriman, Gobeljić, Milijaš, L. Ilić, Adžić, Ruiz, Pavkov.
Zvezda's passage into the next round never looked in danger, but two late home goals earned Floriana a respectable result. Serbian team took the lead on 12 minutes when Richmond Boakye expertly diverted a Dušan Anđelković cross into the far corner to make it 1-0.
Goalkeepers have had a notable save each midway through the first period and it seemed like Boakye's strike was going to be the only one in the first half. But Abraham Frimpong's foul in the box gave the Greens an opportunity to equalize from the spot. Captain Stephen Pisani made no mistake and the scoreline on the night was 1-1.
Second half proved to be an eventful one, even though it didn't look like it until the 70-minute mark. But then Boakye rifled a shot home from another Anđelković cross to restore Zvezda's lead.
Nenad Milijaš and Marko Gobeljić came on for Nemanja Milić and Ricardinho respectively and made sure they got into some action.
Boakye played Milijaš in on 75 minutes and the veteran midfielder swept the ball behind Grech to make it 3-1 to the visitors. It looked like it was going to be a convincing win for the red-and-whites on the night, but the Maltese team didn't surrender and was back in it just a minute later when Vella made it 3-2.
Things soon got worse as Anđelković missed an easy chance and Marko Gobeljić was sent off on his Crvena zvezda debut for a reckless challenge.
Floriana made it 3-3 through Varela, who out-jumped Anđelković and headed past Manojlović. But the goalscorer showed some unsporting behaviour during his celebration and was shown the yellow card. Since he'd already been booked, this meant that both teams were left with ten men on the pitch.
The match ended with 3-3 the scoreline and Crvena zvezda qualified for the Second Qualifying Round with a 6-3 aggregate win.
Our next opponents are Irtysh Pavlodar from Kazakhstan, who beat Dunav Ruse of Bulgaria 3-0 on aggregate.