Defending champion Red Star Belgrade secured a hard-fought 2-0 away victory against Zemun in the seventh round of the Serbian SuperLiga.
Red Star Belgrade manager Albert Rijera overhauled nearly his entire starting lineup following elimination from the Europa League playoff by Viktoria Plzen, retaining only goalkeeper Mateus from the previous eleven. The tactical shuffle produced an unusually turbulent afternoon on the road against a Zemun side sitting at the bottom of the domestic standings.
Zemun’s starting lineup featured Živković on goal, alongside defenders Knežević, Ostojić, Bakić, and Spremo, while Belaković, Meshi, Ilić, Petrović, Tabaković, and Petrušić filled out the rest of the team. Red Star deployed a starting formation consisting of Mateus in goal, backed by Gudelj, Rodrigao, and Strika, with Abu Fani, Gaštarov, Badžo, and Handel in midfield, and an attacking trio of Lučić, Šarić, and Katai.
Missed Penalties and First-Half Frustrations at Ub
Despite enjoying territorial dominance from the opening whistle, Red Star repeatedly ran into a stubborn defensive wall anchored by veteran goalkeeper Mladen Živković. The visitors surged forward immediately, testing the home defense through early combinations involving Handel and Lučić in the second minute, though the centaršut toward Katai arrived late. Živković intervened to save a subsequent effort from Lučić following another good cross, and was tested again moments later when Katai shot after a pass from Lučić. In the 3rd minute, Badžo unleashed a shot on the turn, but Živković was once more positioned correctly to make the save.
In the 8th minute, Abu Fani located Katai, who found sufficient space for a strike but sent the ball sailing over the crossbar. Zemun managed to catch its breath before Abu Fani struck the goal frame in the 10th minute, firing from roughly 16 meters after combining with Lučić. The host team immediately responded in the 16th minute when Meshi found himself in a promising position with Mateus already beaten, only to see his effort hit the stativu. Strika received a yellow card in the 22nd minute after losing possession in a duel with Petrušić and pulling him from behind.
Zemun defended with increasing discipline, pushing the visitors away from their penalty area. In the 24th minute, Katai attempted to chip the ball over the keeper, but Živković read the play and intercepted the attempt. Just a minute later, the Red Star captain tried his luck with a header, but the ball drifted over the crossbar. Abu Fani tested the defense with a long-range shot in the 33rd minute, though Zemun held firm.
In the closing stages of the first half, Red Star earned a golden opportunity to take the lead following a VAR review. Referee intervention confirmed a foul after Bakić stepped on Šarić inside the box, resulting in a yellow card for the Zemun right-back and a penalty for the visitors. Team captain Katai stepped up to take the spot-kick, but the experienced Živković anticipated his intention and blocked the penalty. Zemun attempted a late cross before the break, but Mateus handled it safely, leaving the match scoreless at halftime.
Mirko Ivanić and Mohamed Abu Fani Deliver the Breakthrough
Sensing the danger of a dropped point, Albert Rijera made a tactical change at the start of the second half, sending on Mirko Ivanić in place of Alexander Katai to take over the captain’s armband. Zemun immediately threatened in the 48th minute through a dangerous counterattack finished by Tabaković, whose shot flew over the crossbar.
In the 57th minute, Red Star finally broke the deadlock. Following a corner kick delivered by Abu Fani, Mirko Ivanić reacted brilliantly in the air to head the ball home for a 1-0 lead, marking his first goal of the current Mozzart Bet SuperLiga season. Ivanić continued a scoring streak that previously saw him net three times across the two-leg tie against Viktoria Plzen.
Shortly after the opening goal, Zemun made a double substitution in the 62nd minute, replacing Petrović and Meshi with Jokić and Milošević. Additional substitutions later brought fresh Zvezda acquisitions Mihailo Ristić and young Korean player Je-gon Kim onto the pitch to introduce themselves to the supporters.
Abu Fani extinguished any lingering doubts in the second minute of stoppage time. Firing a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty box past Živković, the midfielder secured the final 2-0 scoreline.
Fresh Faces Debuting for the Champions
The victory lifts Red Star to 15 points from five played matches, sharing the top position in the Superliga table with Vojvodina, though Vojvodina has played two more games. Meanwhile, Zemun remains positioned at the bottom of the standings with a single point.
,autocrop(1200:630) "Photo: BLIC")
The Stakes Ahead in the Domestic Campaign
While the champions secured the three points, the match proved considerably more difficult than anticipated on the pitch at Ub. Looking ahead to the upcoming round of fixtures, Red Star faces the Eternal Derby against Partizan, while Zemun prepares to travel to Novi Sad for an away fixture against Vojvodina.
