SSL: Partizan v Crvena Zvezda preview

Partizan is home to Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday (6.30pm CET kick-off) for a Mozzart Bet Serbian Super Liga round 32 (play-off round 2) fixture.

H2H (last six)

Partizan 0, CZ 3, Drawn 3.Gd: 6-2, CZ.

TEAM NEWS

Kristijan Belic serves one-game suspension. Ljubomir Fejsa and Patrick Andrade are nursing their respective injuries.

Partizan boss Igor Duljaj ahead of the derby game:

-We are on a poor streak for some time now. We keep getting punches but sometimes we need to strike back.

I can handle big burden and I would love to be able to take all of it on me on behalf of the players but that`s not possible. On the pitch it`s ten against ten and that`s where you prove your value. Anyone who respects Partizan shirt has to come out onto the pitch and prove he deserves to be here.

The burden is in the head not in the feet. You can say whatever you want, do a motivational speech, play clips from Gladiator or Sparta movies…That`s all nonsense. The point is to motivate yourself, to be honest to yourself, to wake up the next day knowing you did all you could.

When I watch our training sessions, I see they do their best. If we could transfer that onto the games, there would be no problems at all but I can`t get into the players heads. I would like to identify players with my playing days but that`s not possible too. You know who finds it hard? Those who work in bakery or miners, people who need to put the food on the table for their kids. We are athletes, we are paid decent and we need to be honest and respectful towards the club and what it represents.

Crvena Zvezda won the title but they will not come down just to do the regular job, they`ll be motivated to justify the position they are in. Derby game should be motivation enough for any player. Stakes are high and we have to do our best to leave our troubles behind.