Crvena Zvezda saw off Plzeň 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League play-offs on Wednesday evening. The Belgrade side held firm against a resilient Czech outfit and booked their passage to the next round. It was a clean-sweep that felt inevitable after twenty minutes of probing.
Mirko Ivanic opened the scoring in the thirty-sixth minute, capitalising on loose defending. He doubled his tally five minutes into the second half, and by then the match was effectively over. Aleksandar Katai added a late penalty in the eighty-ninth minute, and the clean-sheet run came to an end for Plzeň. Three goals from seven shots on target — that price has gone.
There were plenty of changes on the sidelines as both managers reshuffled their decks. Crvena Zvezda brought on Arnautovic and Ivanic himself for a rest in the seventy-second minute. Plzeň responded with double substitutions at the same interval, trying to find a foothold. The heat took the sting out of it somewhat, though.
Both teams shared possession evenly at fifty per cent, but the numbers tell a different story. Crvena Zvezda launched 109 attacks compared to Plzeň's 88, yet the visitors were more precise with their finishing. They registered 63 per cent shot accuracy to their hosts' 54, but many chances went begging. It's not always about who controls the ball.
The result leaves Crvena Zvezda with one foot in the next round, while Plzeň's European campaign is done. What matters now is how they respond in domestic competitions. For the hosts, it's a statement of intent heading into the group stages.