Partizan is home to Jedinstvo on Saturday (2.55pm CET kick-off) as part of Mozzart Bet Serbian Super Liga round 17 fixtures.
H2H
this is Jedinstvo`s debut SSL season, the two teams met only once in the top-tier so far, Partizan winning corresponding fixture 4-0 away. Last season, Partizan also won one-legged cup tie away to Jedinstvo with a single goal from Nemanja Nikolic.
TEAM NEWS
Marko Zivkovic, Ghayas Zahid and Djordje Jovanovic are all long-term injury absentees with Jovanovic expected to return before winter break.
Partizan boss Savo Milosevic ahead of Jedinstvo home:
-It`s actually good that we build pressure on ourselves. Saturday`s game is another challenge for us ahead of two games a week period. Working in this club implies you always have a pressure to win but it`s actually good when we bring pressure on ourselves. What really matters – fit players are doing good work. Of course, it was clear against Napredak what kind of problems we face with when we are short of two injured regulars. We have to be fully focused, that`s the only way we can get back onto the right track. No game will be easy to win.
I insist on positive mood around the squad, players need to be happy and pleased and then I can ask them to be at their best as your brain is not going to let you be hundred percent if you are not happy. Boys listen and try hard and sometimes things turn out good, sometimes it`s the other way around. Well, that`s the lure of football game. Can you imagine what football game would look like if everything coaches think of works in your favour. I get reports after the matches and it`s said that player give their max. I don`t know what people expect – previously we had a run of nine games without a win, now we won seven out of nine and there are talks about crisis. But, that`s what Partizan is about. I need to have realistic look and talk about it accordingly. Also, it`s paramount I pass that to players.
There`s no certainty in football. This is a game where lots of things will depend on our performance. If we are right, it will be ok. If not, we`ll get into trouble.
I keep talking to our forwards. I think I can help them as I played upfront during my career. We were rushing things in a second half against Napredak and players were highly fatigued, we didn`t control the game. When we have Zahid on the ball, he is able to give them a bit of rest. Now, we have to find solution to get more runs towards the opponent`s net, not towards our own. We have to find other solutions and it takes time.
We need to react, not only to replace two recently injured regulars, that`s part of the game. Of course, our plans depend on player`s profiles we have.
