I could have said it in a much rougher and more vulgar way, but it would have been pointless. On the other hand it took this very long for me to calm down after the game. But first things first.
Teams are walking out to the pitch, while Zvezda-fans were waving with these shiny red wrapping papers
The derby brought a massive wrestling game for more than 90 minutes. It contained football only in tracks, while it was full of fights, provocations, disputes and spitting at each other. Only 13 seconds passed when Kanga picked a fight with Everton
I can’t help, this guy makes me think of Kanga and Roo every goddamn time
in the meantime someone please tell me, what the heck was this awful weeper song at the beginning of the game? It made my ears bleed AND it was shut down way after the game started.
When it was finally turned off (or I don’t know, someone killed the person at the public-address system) it felt so good to hear Grave Diggers overchanting Zvezda-fans.
So, there was some football there. In the 4th minute Leonardo ran up on the left side, but he was blocked (this was the first real action on the game), two minutes later Vulićević crossed, the ball dropped to the diagonal side, Miletić crossed it back, it ended as a corner-kick. Meanwhile a Partizan-player was knocked to the ground in the goalmouth, the refere didn’t whistle it off. Oh well. Corner kick again. Leonardo got the ball, shot, and barely missed. Zvezda’s goalkeeper saved in the last moment. Meanwhile the southern tribune was on fire, a small pause was needed, maybe referee Majo Vujović’s eyes got hurt by the smoke.
There was a great tension on the pitch. In the 10th minute Đurđević put himself into action, but he was blocked in the goalmouth. Zvezda’s first attempt came in the 13th minute, well, that kind of attempt that brought out a raised eyebrow from the average viewer. Boakye shot, but Partizan-defenders blocked him.
Then again came some fight, it seemed, Everton and Kanga really hate each other. Petković joined them, nobody knows why, because nobody asked him to do so.
Marko Nikolić tries to hold back the two enraged Brazilians to tear Petković into small pieces
Tension just grew, action was less and less available. In the 17th minute Ruiz got the ball after a corner-kick, the Costa Rican shot - and almost tore the advertising board behind the box.
At this point Zvezda was more active - or rather they possessed the ball more than us, but in fact their defenders kept on passing it around among each other behind the half-line. Plavšić wanted to squeeze out a penalty in the 19th minute, he fell on the ground inside Partizan’s penalty area, but instead of penalty he got a yellow card for acting.
Partizan earned a few corner kicks, but the box was still out of sight. Both teams grew more and more tensed and nervous, they kicked each other instead of the ball. This latter one (the ball) was still possessed by Zvezda more, though they still kept on passing around with seemingly no useful idea. Or they lost it. On this derby there was a huge load of lost, dropped-out, rolled-away ball, pass or cross.
Leonardo was smarter, he never lost the ball
Then came the 34th minute and a very bizarre situation.
Zvezda attacked. Anđelković passed to Ruiz on the left. Ruiz ran up, but the ball rolled out through the baseline.
The referee didn’t whistle.
Every Partizan-player was waving with hands up for the referee that the ball was out. But neither referee Majo Vujović, nor additional assistant Srđan Obradović found it to be a goal-kick for Partizan.
You get what I mean. The ball rolls out through the baseline. At least five Partizan-players are waving that it was out, but the referee doesn’t see it. Nor does the assistant. None of them.
Ruiz passed to Kanga, the Gabonian shot and scored. 1:0
This screenshot has been circulating around the internet since then
(source: mozzartsport.com)
What can be said on this?
Nothing. Nothing should be said, because everyone knows it already.
Nevertheless the goal kicked Partizan hard on the stomach. Tense just grew even bigger.
The moment when you realize, the referee really validated an invalid goal for Zvezda
(photo: hotsport.rs)
...and when you realize, the assistant also needs a brain implant
In the 40th minute Plavšić had a try after a Zvezda corner kick, but the defenders blocked. Another corner kick. Again Plavšić got the ball, now he shot, it was too high.
Constant fights and tension, we were already in the extra time. Jevtović was so brutally kicked to the ground in the 47th minute, that I could hear him screaming through the stream. Free kick for us, about 20 metres from the box. Leonardo sent a cannon shot, but the goalkeeper jumped and saved.
Marko Nikolić some time during the game
When Zvezda and the referees walked out to the pitch for the second half, the stadium echoed the chanting "Lopovi, lopovi" (thieves, thieves).
We pushed hard at the beginning of the second half. We immediately got a free kick. Leonardo crossed it to the goalmouth, Đurđević shot, the goalkeeper caught it. Three minutes later Ostojić headed the ball to the box after a corner kick, it was too high. A minute later another corner kick, now Miletić’s shot was too high. In the 52nd minute Leonardo shot from at least 35 metres, it was again too high. Zvezda had their first attempt of the second half in the 61st minute, Ruiz shot, too wide.
Then nothing really happened out of great tension and nervousness.
We got a free kick in the 69th minute. Janković crossed it to the middle, there Leonardo got it, he shot, too wide. In the 71st minute Kljajić blocked a counter-attack by Zvezda (out of this he had nothing to do in the whole second half). The game got rougher and rougher, it reminded more of a survivor game than a football match.
Average fan was sweating hard, with hands trembling. Seriously, no eternal derby had ever killed me like this one. For the end of the game I was like a zombie, both physically and emotionally.
Zvezda was no-nonsense. Whenever they got to a Partizan-player, they kicked him to the ground. The ball was just there, nobody cared for it. There was no attempt or action, only fight.
Kosović gets a slap in the face
Time passed. Average Fan started to lose hope. I started to plan my epitaph.
Then came the 88th minute.
Vulićević appeared out of the blue and ran up with the ball on the right. He made a fantastic cross to the middle, and there Đurđević - while fighting with two defenders - headed it right into the box.
GOLAZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
1:1!!!!!!!
The moment when Đurđević heads the ball into the box
...and when he celebrates
It was fuel to the fire. The brutal tension that was ready to blow up in any moment there in the Zvezda-stadium was unbelievable. Zvezda-players lost control, Average Fan was praying hard for Partizan-players to hang in there.
They did.
After about 3 minutes of extra time Majo Vujović gave the final whistle to the eternal derby. We could celebrate. This draw was more like a victory. Not just against Zvezda.
We celebrated. We had every reason for it.
I also want a T-shirt like this on Janković
"Svi kao jedan"
Highlights:
Facts:
Venue:
Number of spectators: 41 132
Official: Majo Vujović (assistants: Svetozar Živin, Milan Šutulović - 4th official: Srđan Milutinović - additional assistants: Srđan Obradović, Lazar Lukić)
Crvena Zvezda: Manojlović, Petković, Luković, Frimpong, Anđelković, Le Tallec, Donald, Ruiz (Milić, 75.), Kanga (Milijaš, 79.), Plavšić, Boakye (Sikimić, 83.)
Head coach: Miodrag Božović
FK Partizan: Kljajić, Vulićević, Milenković, Ostojić, Miletić, Jevtović (Janković, 64.), Everton, Kosović (Tawamba, 84.), Leonardo, A. Stevanović (Mihajlović, 74.), Đurđević
Head coach: Marko Nikolić
Goal scorers: Kanga (34.), Đurđević (88.)
Yellow card: Plavšić (19.), Everton (33.), Anđelković (48.), Đurđević (63.), Luković (78.), Milić (88.)
Current championship standings:
1. CZ 61 points
2. Partizan 55 points
3. Vojvodina 54 points
4. Mladost 38 points
5. Napredak 36 points
6. Radnički Niš 36 points
7. Spartak 33 points
8. FK Javor 33 points
9. FK Voždovac 31 points
10. Čukarički 29 points
11. Metalac 26 points
12. Rad 25 points
13. OFK Bačka 21 points
14. Radnik 21 points
15. Borac 18 points
16. Novi Pazar 16 points
(unmarked photos: partizan.rs)
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