IMT Novi-Belgrade secured a 2:1 victory over Partizan in the Super Liga's Regular Season round 3 on Saturday evening. The away side took all three points despite playing the majority of the match with ten men after A. Zekovic's red card in the fourteenth minute. Partizan had started brightly, but IMT's resilience saw them through to claim a result that keeps them in third place with fourteen points from eight games.
And here's the thing about that early dismissal—Partizan didn't collapse. They had V. Djurdjevic booked just a minute later, then controlled possession through the first half. L. Lukovic went off at the break for IMT, replaced in the forty-sixth minute. Partizan created nothing of note from their 55 per cent possession, registering four shots on target but failing to test the goalkeeper.
By then the visitors had found their rhythm. D. Zagar struck in the fifty-second minute to put IMT ahead, and was substituted himself four minutes after scoring. M. Vukotic doubled the lead in the eighty-ninth minute before O. Lebi added a late third in stoppage time. Partizan brought on M. Aleksic, N. Trifunovic and O. Ugresic in the second half, but could only muster a consolation goal that never materialised.
The statistics tell a familiar story: Partizan dominated possession with 414 passes compared to IMT's 353, but the visitors were more dangerous. IMT created two big chances to Partizan's zero, and their four shots on target resulted in two goals while Partizan's four on target yielded nothing. The home side attempted 31 crosses against 17, but only seven landed successfully.
Partizan's position in the table reflects their struggles—twelfth place after seven games with two wins, one draw and four losses. IMT sit three points clear of mid-table with four victories and two draws from eight outings. The away side's recent form included a 4:0 win over Zemun, while Partizan had won their last three matches before this defeat.
The result closes out a frustrating afternoon for Partizan, who controlled the ball but couldn't convert pressure into goals. IMT, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run and demonstrated that cup football has its own rules—survive the early adversity and punish when opportunities arise.