Borac - FK Partizan 1:3 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 7)

The field of the Čačak stadium got soaky wet after days of heavy raining. It was covered with mud when the players walked out for the match. It was raining even during the game, the slippery grass made it even more difficult for both teams. As an extra, the stadium lights were just glimmering during the evening. At the goal area it was semi-dark.

Warming up

(photo: partizan.rs)

The game started with a minute of silence for the memory of Srđan Jovanović, former referee and president of FSS’s referee committe, who passed away earlier this week.
Then, right after the starting whistle Borac attacked. Their striker ran up on the right side, Bandalovski threw himself into the way. (It was barely a few millimetres that it didn’t end as an own goal. Thankfully it didn’t, Borac got a corner kick.)

Bandalovski wrestling with Knežević

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the 8th minute the home team attacked again. Jovančić shot from 18 metres. Živko Živković performed a great save, then he stayed on the ground holding his waist with a painful face.
In the 10th minute again the home team could run up on the right side.

The left side of our defense line was again like a passage-way. Something must be done, it cannot remain like this for the CL-game on Wednesday.

Knežević ran up all alone and shot. Živko Živković saved with his leg. Then again he stayed on the ground. Now he got medical attendance, what is more, on the screen appeared Filip Kljajić, the substitute goalkeeper as he was warming up. Finally Živko Živković didn’t need any substitution, though he visibly had pain during the match.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

In the 23rd minute, while Average Fan tried to resurrect the dying stream, we got a free kick about 25-30 metres from the goal line, on the right. Babović stood behind the ball, he shot it inside the penalty area, but defenders cleared it.
In the 30th minute again Borac attacked, again from the right side. They passed the ball to the middle, Živko Živković caught it. Five minutes later Babović got the ball on the left. He headed it to the goal line, but it was too high.
Then in the 38th minute we tried to break Borac’s defense in the middle. The ball dropped from a defender to Trujić, who was standing on the right. For everyone’s surprise Trujić shot, and the ball dropped into the upper left corner of the net like a cannon ball. 0:1

(photo: partizan.rs)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

In the 42nd minute Petrović got a great pass from Saša Ilić on the left. He shot, the ball would have needed just millimetres to get into the net. Borac started a counter-attack, our defense line cleared in the last moment. Corner kick, the ball is shot to the middle, where Mićić jumped up to head it into the net, but it slipped on his bald head. Živko Živković again presented an amazing save.

Match action: Saša Ilić and Trujić

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the second half, in the 49th minute we got a corner kick. Babović shot...
...and Balažic plain and simply headed it into the net. 0:2!!!!
In the 55th minute Saša Ilić passed the ball out to the right side to Trujić. Trujić kicked it back to him, then the Captain shot from 8 metres. Goalkeeper Bajić saved, Borac could ran up for a counter-attack. On the right side

from where else?... Nemanja Petrović, my dear son, have you been just an accessory on the left?...

Tanasin arrived with the ball. The ball dropped out of the line, but neither the referee, nor the assistant bothered about it. Tanasin passed to the middle to his teammate who headed it to our goal line, missing it with just millimetres. We started a counter-counter-attack. Šaponjić got the ball, he ran up in the middle and shot with full power. The goalkeeper made a huge save.
In the 64th minute the home attack came again from the right. Knežević (if I could see well) got the ball and shot immediately. Marko Jevtović selflessly threw himself into the way, making the attempt end as a corner kick. The shot was headed by a Borac-player (Mićić maybe?... I’m not sure, maybe it was his bald head there), but it was too high.
Cardial arrest came in the 69th minute. Our defense line lost the ball, substitute player Đerić grabbed it at once. He attacked our goal all alone, all doors and windows were wide open...
...and Živko Živković made one of the greatest saves of his life with HIS LEG!
In the 71st minute we got a free kick on the right. Babović shot to Trujić, he passed it ahead to Lukić. Lukić got the ball, shot and scored a fantastic goal. 0:3!!!!

(photo: partizan.rs)

We immediately got the answer, practically right after the kickoff. After a wrong pass lost by Partizan-defenders Knežević grabbed the ball. He rushed up to the goal and kicked the ball into our net passing it by Živko Živković, who ran out of the goalmouth. 1:3
In the 78th minute Milojević had a huge chance, but Živko Živković had an even more huge save. Meanwhile Lukić stayed on the ground laying; a Borac-player kicked him on his back. Lukić couldn’t continue the game. Kosović, his substitute debuted in Partizan.

Nebojša Kosović

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the 82nd minute Borac got a free kick from a distance, on the right. The ball was passed into our goalmouth and headed to our goal line, but it was too wide.
In the 87th minute we led a counter-attack after a Borac-corner. Trujić ran up on the right side and passed it to the middle. Šaponjić arrived, but defenders cleared the area.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Corner kick, the shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

(photo: partizan.rs)

Facts:

Venue: City stadium, Čačak
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Danilo Grujić (assistants: Dalibor Đurđević, Milan Minić - 4th assistant: Slađan Rajković - goal line assistants: Milan Ilić, Dejan Anđelković)

Borac: Bajić - Tanasin, Miletić, Jablan, S. Živković - Mićić, Jovančić - Milan Jevtović (Krstić, 72.), Vukmirović (Đerić, 59.), Knežević - Vujaklija (Milojević, 35.)
Head coach: Nenad Lalatović

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Bandalovski, Balažic, Fabricio (Ćirković, 46.), N. Petrović - Lukić (Kosović, 81.), Marko Jevtović, Babović, S. Ilić (Golubović, 75.) - Šaponjić, Trujić
Head coach: Zoran Milinković

Goal scorers: Trujić (38.), Balažic (49.), Lukić (71.), Knežević (72.)

Ladies and gentlemen, please, stand up in attention for a minute: in this game no players were booked.

I add the league table later, tomorrow there will be still games of this round.

Update:
Current championship standings:

1. Crvena Zvezda 17 points
2. Javor 15 points
3. Vojvodina 13 points*
4. Partizan 12 points*
5. Radnički Niš 12 points
6. Borac 10 points
7. Novi Pazar 9 points
8. Metalac 9 points
9. Čukarički 8 points
10. Rad 8 points*
11. Mladost 8 points
12. FK Voždovac 6 points
13. OFK Beograd 6 points
14. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 6 points
15. Surdulica 6 points
16. Jagodina 2 points*

Teams marked with * played only 6 matches.