Red Star won 2:0 before the return leg against Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Stankovic rotated the squad, Katai and Enam scored against Novi Pazar, and Abu Fani came off the bench in the 73rd minute. On Tuesday, the Israeli champion will try to maintain the 1:0 lead at the Marakana (21:00, Sport1).
Three days before Hapoel Be'er Sheva visits the Marakana stadium in Belgrade to face the local champion in the return leg of the Champions League third qualifying round (Tuesday, 21:00, Sport1) and attempts to maintain the 1:0 lead from the first match in Hungary, tonight (Saturday) Red Star Belgrade defeated Novi Pazar 2:0 in the fourth round of the Serbian league.
Red Star coach Dejan Stankovic rotated the lineup ahead of the meeting with Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and his team struggled at the beginning of the match. Novi Pazar was even close to taking the lead when Kucobo hit the crossbar of an empty goal in the 12th minute. Later, Red Star took control of the game, and in stoppage time of the first half, Mirko Ivanic found Aleksandar Katai, who scored to make it 1:0.
In the 58th minute, the second goal arrived. Ivanic led a Red Star counterattack, Katai found Yee Enam, who chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 2:0. Three minutes later, the Serbian champion was left with ten players after young goalkeeper Savo Radanovic handled the ball outside the penalty area and was sent off with a red card.
Mohammed Abu Fani came off the bench in the 73rd minute, replacing Ivanic, and Red Star maintained the lead until the end. Now Stankovic and his players will turn their attention to preparations for the return leg against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, which will arrive in Belgrade with a 1:0 lead from the first match.
