Red Star beat Partizan 2:1 in the Super League on Saturday. The hosts took an early lead through Jeferson Marinho dos Santos after just one minute, but Bamba Dieng equalised for the visitors seventeen minutes in. By then the derby was already setting its tone.
What changed everything came twenty-six minutes in when the referee awarded a penalty after VAR review. Matej Gashtarov drew the foul and Mirko Ivanić stepped up to convert from the spot in the twenty-eighth minute. And here's the thing about derbies — moments like that decide whether you ride the momentum or scramble to find your feet.
Red Star controlled the game after going ahead. They had fifty-one percent possession and created five big chances compared to Partizan's one. The visitors managed more attacks overall at eighty-eight to sixty-seven, but their shots lacked precision, with only four on target from ten attempts. To be fair, Partizan pressed hard but could not find the breakthrough.
The table tells the wider story. Red Star remain top of the Super League with six wins from six games and eighteen points. Partizan sit twelfth after seven matches, with only two victories and seven points on the board. This result closes the gap slightly but does not change the direction either side is heading.
Red Star's fourth straight win extends their perfect start, while Partizan's form continues to worry those watching from the stands. The hosts dug in after the penalty to protect their lead and saw out the final minutes with six yellow cards between them. A derby with no love lost, and the home side walked away with everything.
