JuNkY
04-03-2000, 01:28 AM
Red Star beat Partizan to throw title race open
By Zoran Milosavljevic
BELGRADE, April 2 (Reuters)(DS) - Red Star beat champions and arch-rivals Partizan 2-1 in a tense Belgrade derby on Sunday to
draw level with them at the top of the table and throw the title race wide open. Both teams have 78 points with nine matches remaining. Third-placed Obilic Belgrade have 77 points and have played a game more.
Red Star dominated proceedings in the first half and pinned their rivals back but Partizan goalkeeper Radisa Ilic kept his
team in the match with a string of superb saves. Ilic thwarted Mihajlo Pjanovic and Dragan Stevanovic in the opening 15 minutes then denied Branko Boskovic from close range. But he was left helpless three minutes before the break when Pjanovic fired Red Star ahead. The striker latched on to a headed clearance by skipper Goran Bubjevcevic and blasted the ball past Ilic inside the near post. The visitors, looking shaky in defence, fell further behind
in the 51st minute when Branko Savic deflected a teasing Ivan Gvozdenovic cross into his own net. Red Star pushed forward in search of a third but Partizan refused to lie down and pulled one back in the 73rd minute through Mateja Kezman whose blockbuster went in off the post. It was only a consolation goal for the league leaders on the night, but could be decisive in the title race as it gave Partizan a 3-2 aggregate lead. The champions won the previous meeting this season 2-0 and
will edge Red Star if the two teams finish level on points as the aggregate result counts first to determine the higher position. Red Star's coach Slavoljub Muslin said he was happy with the team's effort and praised his men for an "outstanding
performance." "We showed that we are the better team and fully deserved this victory. It's anybody's championship now as Obilic too are back in the hunt," he said.
Bunjevcevic, however, admitted that Kezman's late goal could prove costly for Red Star.
"It was an unlucky break for us, they capitalised on a defensive error. We wanted to finish them off and got caught on the break," he told a news conference after the match. Partizan's coach Miodrag Jesic was not happy with the outcome but said his men were still favourites to cross the finish line first. "Kezman's goal brought us back to life and the championship is still in our hands," he said.
By Zoran Milosavljevic
BELGRADE, April 2 (Reuters)(DS) - Red Star beat champions and arch-rivals Partizan 2-1 in a tense Belgrade derby on Sunday to
draw level with them at the top of the table and throw the title race wide open. Both teams have 78 points with nine matches remaining. Third-placed Obilic Belgrade have 77 points and have played a game more.
Red Star dominated proceedings in the first half and pinned their rivals back but Partizan goalkeeper Radisa Ilic kept his
team in the match with a string of superb saves. Ilic thwarted Mihajlo Pjanovic and Dragan Stevanovic in the opening 15 minutes then denied Branko Boskovic from close range. But he was left helpless three minutes before the break when Pjanovic fired Red Star ahead. The striker latched on to a headed clearance by skipper Goran Bubjevcevic and blasted the ball past Ilic inside the near post. The visitors, looking shaky in defence, fell further behind
in the 51st minute when Branko Savic deflected a teasing Ivan Gvozdenovic cross into his own net. Red Star pushed forward in search of a third but Partizan refused to lie down and pulled one back in the 73rd minute through Mateja Kezman whose blockbuster went in off the post. It was only a consolation goal for the league leaders on the night, but could be decisive in the title race as it gave Partizan a 3-2 aggregate lead. The champions won the previous meeting this season 2-0 and
will edge Red Star if the two teams finish level on points as the aggregate result counts first to determine the higher position. Red Star's coach Slavoljub Muslin said he was happy with the team's effort and praised his men for an "outstanding
performance." "We showed that we are the better team and fully deserved this victory. It's anybody's championship now as Obilic too are back in the hunt," he said.
Bunjevcevic, however, admitted that Kezman's late goal could prove costly for Red Star.
"It was an unlucky break for us, they capitalised on a defensive error. We wanted to finish them off and got caught on the break," he told a news conference after the match. Partizan's coach Miodrag Jesic was not happy with the outcome but said his men were still favourites to cross the finish line first. "Kezman's goal brought us back to life and the championship is still in our hands," he said.