Stadium: Partizan Stadium
Referee: Gustavo Correa (Portugal)
Goals: Ugreshic 69’, D. Jovanovic 118’ – Pons 104’
Partizan: M. Milosevic, Roganovic, Djurdjevic, Milovanovic, Jurcevic (106' D. Jovanovic), Dragojevic, Ugreshic (90' Karabelyov), Seck (75' B. Kostic), Vukotic (62' Natho), Trifunovic (62' Kalulu), J. Milosevic (62' A. Kostic)
AEK: Alomerovic, Godswill (103' Suarez), Milicevic, Roberge, Garcia (77' Gnali), Roden (62' Miramon), Ledes, Pons, Chacon, Rubio Marin (77' Ivanovic), Angelski (96' Loukaidis)
Partizan managed to overturn the 0:1 deficit from the first leg of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers against AEK Larnaca, winning 1:0 in regular time and 2:1 after extra time—but ultimately lost 5:6 in the penalty shootout.
Goalkeeper Marko Milosevic saved two penalties in the shootout, and on three more occasions the entire stadium held its breath hoping for another decisive save that would mean progression. But it wasn’t to be.
The visitors managed to come back despite missed penalties from Milan Roganovic, Aldo Kalulu, and Bogdan Kostic, securing their place in the next round. Partizan will now continue their European journey in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers, where they will face Ukrainian side Oleksandriya.
Head coach Srdjan Blagojevic had stated before the match that he expected a much better performance from his players in front of the home crowd than in the first leg in Cyprus—and his words proved true.
From start to finish, Partizan dictated the tempo, keeping play mostly in AEK’s half. Backed by 23,253 fans, the team fought hard for all 120 minutes—playing smart, aggressive, and patient football. They pressed from the front, forcing AEK into a deep defensive shape, clinging to their slim advantage.
The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Ognjen Ugreshic finally broke through the defensive wall with a composed finish after a brilliant setup from Demba Seck, scoring in front of the south stand, which erupted in celebration.
The atmosphere hit another peak in the 93rd minute when Marko Milosevic saved a penalty from Karol Angelski, keeping Partizan’s hopes alive.
Partizan remained dominant in extra time, but AEK struck first in the 104th minute when the ball slipped through Milosevic’s hands and ended up in the net.
Still, Blagojevic’s players didn’t give up. They stuck to their game, and it paid off in the 118th minute when Dusan Jovanovic scored to send the match into penalties. The home side nearly won it before the shootout, creating two more good chances to score again.
But in the end, it came down to penalties—and luck was not on Partizan’s side.
