Radečki Surdulica claimed a 1-0 victory over Novi Pazar in the Super Liga's sixth round on Sunday. The match ended at the Surdulica stadium with the home side holding on despite playing the final minutes with ten men. Both teams arrived with identical records of eight points, though Novi Pazar had played one more fixture.
Luka Jovanović broke the deadlock in the 44th minute, finishing what had been a patient home build-up. The goal arrived just before half-time, giving Radečki the lead they would carry into the break. Novi Pazar pushed for an equaliser after the restart but could not find the breakthrough.
And here's the thing — the match turned on those three or four moments rather than the statistics. Novi Pazar enjoyed 55 per cent possession and created one big chance, while Radečki registered five shots on target from fifteen attempts. Shots accuracy tells only part of the story, and by then the game had already been decided.
Alexandar Pejović saw red in the 90+2 minute, forcing Radečki to see out the remainder a man down. The dismissal came after a series of yellow cards had already mounted on both sides — four for Novi Pazar and three for the hosts. Several substitutions were made in the second half as both managers searched for a different outcome.
The result keeps Radečki eighth in the table after six games, while Novi Pazar remain in ninth after seven. Both sides have won twice and drawn twice, with the hosts having suffered two defeats compared to Novi Pazar's three. The gap between them remains narrow, as it often is in this part of the table.
