And see, Saša Ilić was our captain today
(screenshot)
Subotica immediately had an attempt. They attacked from the left side, finally it ended in a corner kick. After the kick Partizan-defenders cleared the area.
Well, actually, better said, we allowed them to warm up.
Because after this Partizan put themselves into speed action. In the 6th minute we already got a corner kick, that made a serious goalmouth scrumble for Spartak. Andrija Živković possessed the ball, then he was tackled, but still we kept Spartak’s goal under attack. Eventually the referee whistled it off. Goal-kick.
In the 9th minute Saša Ilić and Leković kept on passing the ball to each other, then Leković crossed it to the middle. A Spartak-defender kicked it out through the baseline. Corner-kick. Ninković got the ball, he shot, the goalkeeper saved. A minute later Spartak had another attempt with a 25-metre free kick, our defenders headed it out. We started a counter-attack, Andrija Živković crossed it to Vulićević on the right. Vulićević ran up and shot from a sharp angle, the goalkeeper saved it.
Meanwhile in the 12th minute someone on the stand got sick so much that an ambulance car arrived to give them medical attendance. The game was halted for a short time.
(photo: Twitter)
In the 14th minute Brašanac tried with a kick to the goal, the goalkeeper again saved it. A minute later we got a free kick, 25 metres from the goal line. Ninković stood behind the ball and sent a cross to Vulićević on the other side. Vulićević passed it to Brašanac, Brašanac forwarded it to Andrija Živković. He was wrestling with a defender, finally it ended in a throw-in.
Partizan was much stronger and determined now than (any time) earlier in the past weeks. We attacked, with no passing backwards or fumbling.
In the 16th minute Brašanac ran up on the left side. He crossed it to the middle, the goalkeeper jumped out of the goalmouth to catch it, but the ball rolled away from him, right to Andrija Živković. The young winger grabbed it and with an amazing bicycle kick he shot. It was just too high.
Two minutes later Saša Ilić got the ball in the middle. He forwarded it to Brašanac, Brašanac shot it to the goal line, but this one was also too high.
The 20th minute brought an amazing Andrija Živković-Saša Ilić-Nikola Ninković pinball-shooting inside the penalty area - but the referee whistled it off, because by his viewpoint Saša Ilić in fact played handball.
In the 22nd minute Ninković crossed after a corner kick, but defenders headed it out. We still possessed the ball, Leković ran up on the left, passing forward to Brašanac, but the pass was too long.
Leković was in great shape
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
In the 26th minute Stefan Ilić got suddenly a pass on the right side. Subotica’s player shot, it was too high. A minute later they got a free kick, but our defenders cleared the area.
In the 30th minute Ninković passed to Brašanac. Brašanac forwarded the ball to Andrija Živković. He ran up, almost sliding out through the baseline, but still had a shot from an almost impossible angle. Goalkeeper Janošević caught it.
Brašanac ran a lot, he was present at all Partizan-attempts
Bandalovski was also in his reliable shape, being the bastion of the right side
(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
In the 36th minute Jevtović passed to Andrija Živković, who forwarded the ball to Bojinov with an amazingly spectacular Oxford-trick. Bojinov shot, it was too high (and it was even flag up, for offside).
In the 37th minute we started a counter-attack after a Spartak free kick. Ninković crossed to the middle, Bojinov headed it, but it was too wide. A minute later Spartak attacked, Bandalovski blocked their attempt to corner kick.
Then in the second half, at the 50th minute we got a free kick. (Bojinov was kicked to the ground by a Spartak-defender right at the penalty area line.) Andrija Živković stood behind the ball...
(photo: hotsport.rs)
...and sent a giant bomb shot into the upper left corner!!! 0:1!!!
(photo: hotsport.rs)
In the 56th minute Bojinov sent a great pass to Ninković. Ninković ran up, a defender threw himself into the way, finally it ended in a corner kick.
In the 60th minute Saša Ilić got the ball after a corner kick. He forwarded it to Andrija Živković. Žile crossed it to the middle, there Jevtović headed it to the goal line, the goalkeeper again had a huge save.
In the 65th minute Mrkela appeared suddenly on the right side. He even shot, Kljajić saved. They immediately attacked again, now from the other side, this time Ćirković blocked them.
At this part of the match there were less attacks and attempts than in the first half. The game was going mostly on the midfield. In the 72nd minute a Partizan-throw-in caused a goalmouth scramble for Spartak. Andrija Živković suddenly shot, the goalkeeper performed the save of his life. Two minutes later Spartak had an attempt with a shot, Kljajić just reached out and caught it easily.
In the 76th minute Andrija Živković got the ball after a free kick. He ran up on the left, made a fantastic solo then crossed it to the middle - just the goalkeeper threw himself into the way and saved.
Saša Ilić. No further comment is needed
(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
In the 78th minute Mrkela appearead again on our right side and crossed the ball to the middle. Božović was waiting there, he raised up to head it to our goal line, but it was way too high.
The rest of the game was mostly about Partizan’s corner kicks and missed out attempts, though at one of them Bandalovski was kicked so hard to the ground that he was rolling on the grass screaming. At the very end of the match, in the 90+4th minute Spartak had one last attempt. Milošević shot, Kljajić saved.
(photo: partizan.rs)
Short highlights (as soon as there are longer, I’ll update the post):
Facts:
Venue: City Stadium, Subotica
Number of spectators: 3000
Referee: Danilo Grujić (assistants: Srđan Milutinović, Bojan Jovanović - 4th assistant: Slađan Rajković - goal line assistants: Dejan Anđelković, Dalibor Manojlović)
Spartak Zlatibor Voda: Janošević - Farkaš, Kovačević, Antonić, Milošević - Jočić, Tumbasević (Makarić, 53.) - Stefan Ilić (Božović, 53.), Torbica, Jondić - Ivanović (Mrkela, 46.)
Head coach: Andrei Chernisov
FK Partizan: Kljajić - Vulićević, Bandalovski, Ćirković, Leković - Jevtović, Brašanac - A. Živković (Trujić, 90.), Saša Ilić, Ninković (Petrović, 89.) - Bojinov (Šaponjić, 63.)
Head coach: Ljubinko Drulović
Goal scorer: A. Živković (50.)
Yellow card: Jočić (37.), Brašanac (46.)
Current championship standings:
1. CZ 53 points
2. Čukarički 35 points
3. Borac 34 points
4. Partizan 32 points
5. Radnički Niš 31 points
6. Vojvodina 28 points
7. Javor 27 points
8. Mladost 24 points
9. FK Voždovac 22 points
10. Surdulica 21 points
11. Novi Pazar 20 points*
12. Metalac 18 points
13. OFK Beograd 18 points
14. Rad 15 points
15. Jagodina 15 points*
16. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 9 points
*The game between Novi Pazar and Jagodina has been postponed for later date
