FK Partizan - Napredak 3:1 (Serbian Cup, 1/16 final)

We won with half speed.
Really. We didn’t need any struggle at all. And even this way we made it as a routine victory, with three goals. It was really an easy, post-derby game. At first Napredak made a try, they had an attempt in the 5th minute (too wide). Then it was just some sleepy passing around for quite a while (though Napredak tried again in the 15th minute, Jovović shot, too wide). Then in the 19th minute Đurđević got the ball after a Partizan free kick. He shot right there, but defenders blocked him. No problem, the ball dropped back to him. He caught it, grabbed it and made a cannon shot right into the middle of the box. 1:0

Đurđević shoots...

...then runs out to head coach Marko Nikolić

The pace didn’t get any faster afterwards, it was still this easy, workday afternoon training game atmosphere as earlier. Despite the easy-going ambience, the 26th minute brought the second Partizan-goal. Đurđević passed to Đurđić, who has been performing with more and more self-confidence, but two defenders arrived and blocked the attempt.
Or well, they rather thought they blocked our attempt.
Because Leonardo appeared out of the blue, pushed himself aggressively between the two defenders, grabbed the ball and mercilessly shot it. And scored, too! 2:0

This brought a bit more life to the game. In the 32nd minute Leonardo passed to Đurđić. Đurđić crossed to the middle, but Napredak-defenders headed the ball out.
Then in the 36th minute we practically settled the final score. Leonardo shot, the goalkeeper saved, but the ball dropped - again - to Đurđević. Đurđević sent it to the box with a fly-kick. 3:0

Nothing else happened for the rest of the first half. We kept on playing with half-speed, but even that was enough.
In the second half Šljivić was about to shot after a corner-kick in the 48th minute, but he hit the ball in such a twisted way that it was painful to see. (The ball flew out of the pitch through the baseline.)
The game was still this easy, passing-around styled event, same as in the first half. We had two attempts, first Marjanović shot from 22 metres in the 52nd minute (too high), then two minutes later it was Đurđević again, shooting from a sharp angle (too wide). Then in the 56th minute Kljajić had a MARVELLOUS save. Corner-kick, Vukanović headed it to the box. 3:1

Oh well. They can’t say they didn’t score.

The 61st minute brought another cardial arrest. Napredak got a corner-kick, making a big goalmouth scramble, then the ball rolled out through the baseline in the very last moment. (Then Kljajić yelled off the entire Partizan defense line...)

Kljajić is getting better lately. No more fumblings, no more dropping-the-ball-from-the-hand-and-killing-the-nerve-cells-of-fans, no more butterfly catching. He is more and more confident and made great saves now as well as on the derby.

Sekidika’s red card was the next that stirred up the laziness a bit. He knocked down Vulićević in the 71st minute - it wasn’t the first time for him. He already had a yellow card, the referee sent him off.
Other than this Đurđić had two attempts

told you that the boy is getting into shape...

first he got a great pass from Kosović in the 74th minute. No flag up, Đurđić shot, it was a quite good one, just the goalkeeper was in the way.  He had another in the 87th minute, heading the ball to the box after a corner-kick, but it was too wide.

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 3000
Official: Ilija Brdar (assistants: Jovica Milin, Darko Savović - 4th official: Miloš Đorđić)

FK Partizan: Kljajić, Vulićević, Ostojić, Milenković, Miletić, Everton, Marjanović, A. Stevanović (Janković, 75.), Leonardo (Kosović, 67.), Đurđić, Đurđević (Vlahović, 80.)
Head coach: Marko Nikolić

Napredak: N. Petrović, Varga (N’Diaye, 40.), Urošević, Projić, Simonović, Šljivić, Šarac, Vulić (B. Petrović, 69.), Vukanović, Gobeljić, Jovović (Sekidika, 46.)
Head coach: Dragan Ivanović

Goal scorers: Đurđević (19., 36.), Leonardo (26.), Vukanović (56.)
Yellow card: Đurđić (24.), Urošević (50.), Vulić (63.), Sekidika (66.) Everton (83.), Miletić (89.), Vlahović (90+1.)
Red card: Sekidika (71.), second yellow card

(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)