Mozzart Bet Serbian Super Liga, round 29 fixture
Venue: Partizan Stadium
Kick-off time; 8pm CET
Referee: Lazar Lukic
Yellow cards: Bazdar, Jankovic (PAR) – Fayed, Floro, Jo (NP)
GOALS: 1-0 `35 Severina, 2-0 `56 Castillo
Teams:
PARTIZAN
Jovanovic, Stojkovic, Kovacevic, Markovic, Antic, Kanoute (`66 Owusu), Castillo, Zahid (`79 Scekic), Goh (`66 Kalulu), Severina (`82 Jankovic), Bazdar (`66 Nikolic)
NOVI PAZAR
Mirkovic, Bojat, Fayed, Floro, Jo, Momcilovic (`62 Islamovic), Adeshina (`62 Sreckovic), Ljajic (`62 Karaklajic), Soumah (`72 Petkovic), Scepovic (`62 Opara)
Belgrade, April 7
Partizan beat Novi Pazar 2-0 at home for a third league win in a row.
Stojkovic was back in the starting line-up while Kanoute made one his rare starts this year. As for the front four, Zahid started ahead of Kalulu. Natcho was left out on the bench while Saldanha remained sidelined.
Partizan was dominating possession in the first half but most of the efforts were blocked by Novi Pazar`s tight defensive lines or the final pass was missing.
Actually, the first shot on target was towards Partizan net, an angled low drive from Scepovic on 12 but Jovanovic made a relatively comfortable save.
Zahid sent the ball just wide with his 17m effort on 21 but it was Severina on 35 who scored with Partizan`s first shot on target – a trademark pinpoint left-footed drive from Partizan winger ended in a bottome left corner of the net. Partizan 1, Novi Pazar 0.
Partizan had another shot on target on 38 but fierce strike from right-back Stojkovic was met by a fine save from the away keeper.
Persistent Bazdar stole midfield possession in first half injury time and won a foul just outside the box followed by Zahid`s free-kick and one of the many NP defensive blocks.
Second half was more eventful and it started with Severina`s clear-cut close range opportunity on 49 and a brilliant instinctive save from the NP keeper.
Partizan doubled the lead on 56 after a brilliantly measured angled strike off the crossbar and into the net from Castillo. Partizan 2, Novi Pazar 0.
Severina shot wide on 61 and saw his goal disallowed three mins later after alleged foul from Markovic in the build-up.
Bazdar was booked for his late tackle on 65 and minute later boss Duljaj made three subs – Kanoute, Bazdar and Goh made was for Owusu, Nikolic and Kalulu.
Visitors had a great opportunity on 68 when Karaklajic hit the crossbar after his shot took a weird route. Two mins later, Sreckovic sent the ball over the bar from his 18m free-kick effort.
Scekic came in for Zahid on 79 and it was clear at this point Partizan was more eager to keep a clean sheet rather than going forward to secure a comfortable win.
As a result, visitors had more possession and couple of opportunities – none of them too scary to add late drama to the game.
Partizan remains four points adrift from the league leaders and 10 points ahead of the third placed TSC who only managed a draw against Cukaricki.
On Wednesday, Partizan will play a one-legged last 8 Serbian Cup fixture at home to Vozdovac.
