Graficar claimed a 1-0 away win over Voždovac in the third round of the Prva Liga on Friday evening. The result extends a difficult run for the home side, who have now lost three consecutive matches across all competitions. O. Matanovic's 48th-minute strike proved decisive against a Voždovac side that controlled much of the encounter.
Voždovac dominated possession at 59 per cent and registered 149 attacks compared to their visitors' 99. They registered three shots on target alongside eight off target, while Graficar managed just two attempts on goal. And here's the thing — the visitors converted one of those two efforts, while the hosts could not find the net despite their numerical advantage.
The goal arrived in the second half when Matanovic capitalised on a defensive lapse. Before that, the match had been characterised by Voždovac's territorial control but Graficar's willingness to sit deep and soak it up. M. Strika picked up an early yellow card in the sixth minute, and O. Dimitric followed suit in the 31st, but neither booking changed the pattern of play.
By then, the match had settled into a rhythm that favoured the home side without producing the breakthrough they needed. Graficar made changes to protect their lead, bringing on Y. Horike and J. Rasljanin in the 61st minute, while Voždovac responded with L. Svetlicic and M. Adam shortly after. The visitors added D. Saric and L. Bijelovic in the 86th minute as they saw out the remainder.
The result leaves Voždovac in 11th place with seven points from seven games, a position that reflects their recent struggles. Graficar remain in 16th with four points, but this victory represents their first win of the season and could provide momentum going forward. To be fair, the statistics tell one story while the result tells another — and in football, only the scoreboard matters.