UEFA Europa Conference League play-off stage, return leg
Venue: Planet Group Arena
Kick-off time: 6pm CET
Referee: Filip Glova (SVK)
Yellow cards: Gambor (GNT) – Arriaga, de Medina (PAR)
GOALS: 1-0 `88 Delorga-Knieper
Teams:
GENT
Roef, Gambor, Watanabe, Torunarigha, Fadiga (Samoise 84), Brown, Kums (Ito 79), Delorge-Knieper, Gandelman, Surdez (Varela 84), Gudjohnsen (Dean 65)
PARTIZAN
A Jovanovic, de Medina (Filipovic 56), Markovic, Mujakic, Jurcevic, Kovac, Arriaga (D Jovanovic 56), Kovac, Zahid (Nikolic 75), Severina (Grimaldo 56), Zubairu (Natcho 65), Kalulu
Gent, August 28
Partizan is out of European competitions after losing to K.A.A Gent 2-0 on agg, 1-0 on the night.
Boss Stanojevic had to do without not fully fit Saldanha as well as Goh who still nurses the injury sustained early in the first leg.
As a result, it was Kalulu to go upfront as a makeshift forward while newcomer Kovac made his first Partizan full start.
Hosts were first to threat after some 70 seconds. Shot from Fadiga was blocked by Arriaga and after the Gent corner-kick and poor clearance, Gambor sent the ball wide with his edge of the box effort.
Shot saw his shot blocked on 6 while he had a first great opportunity on 11 but his neat angled shot was saved by Gent keeper with no Partizan player able to seize on the rebound.
Gent threatened again on 14 but won corner-kick only while Zahid had another fine opportunity on 22 but he send the ball just wide from his shot inside the box.
Meanwhile Gent`s Gambor and Partizan`s Arriaga were booked on 19 and 21 respectively while de Medina received a caution on 29.
Partizan had the best opportunity of the first half on 40. Kalulu charged into the box, created some space to shot but his shot was blocked only for ball to rebound for unmarked Zahid who blasted the ball over the bar from close range.
Gent had two good opportunities just after the restart. Fadiga headed the ball over the bar from close range on 47 while Gandelman hit the crossbar with similar heading opportunity minute later.
Brown send the ball wide on 55 and this early pressure from Gent prompt boss Stanojevic to make three changes before the hour, one forced as de Medina hobbled off the field for Filipovic to come in for Belgian right-back. The other two subs were Grimaldo and D Jovanovic for Severina and Arriaga.
Stanojevic made one more change on 65, Natcho coming in for Zubairu.
Final Partizan sub was made on 75 with Nikolic coming in for Zahid.
D Jovanovic had his header after the corner-kick comfortably saved by Roef on 77.
Same player did a good job minute later to beat his markers and create shooting opportunity but Watanabe made a great block.
With Partizan in more attacking formation for the final 30 mins, there was more space for Gent to attack and they finally scored on 88 from measured 20m curler into the left corner of the net from Delorga-Knieper.
Grimaldo and Kalulu tried to reply before the final whistle but it was all over, a second season in a row without European group stage for Partizan.
