Stanković After Shock in Israel
Red Star lost 1-0 to Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, and coach Dejan Stanković took responsibility and announced a comeback at Marakana.
Red Star lost 1-0 to Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, and coach Dejan Stanković took responsibility and announced a comeback at Marakana.
Red Star suffered an unexpected 1-0 defeat away to Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round. More than the result itself, what worried the Serbian champions' fans was the pale and uninspired performance of Dejan Stanković's team, which failed to seriously threaten the hosts over 90 minutes, even when they had a man advantage for the final half hour.
The match was marked by the incredible recklessness of Brazilian goalkeeper Matheus. In the first minute, he dribbled past an opponent and then, with a catastrophic pass, practically assisted the hosts for the only goal of the match. "This cannot be blamed on the coach, but solely on the player who made a blunder that even youth players wouldn't make," reads a sharp comment from Kurir.
The misunderstanding in defense occurred between Matheus and center-back Luckassen, a Ghana international who scored in his country's defeat to Croatia at the recent World Cup. Luckassen joined Red Star just ten days ago, and this was his first match for the new club.
Coach Dejan Stanković, who is making his fourth attempt to guide Red Star to the Champions League group stage, did not shy away from responsibility. Previously, he was stopped by Cyprus's Omonia, Sheriff Tiraspol, and Maccabi Haifa.
"Do you think football will stop if I don't reach the Champions League for the fourth time? I'm not comfortable, but I'll do everything in the return leg to advance. At Red Star, there's always pressure, for every coach and every player. I want the pressure to be on me, not on the players. I ask them to be tougher on the pitch. I have no problem," Stanković said.
The experienced tactician is aware that his team must show significantly more in the return leg. "I spoke before the match about aggression; if you're not good at that, you'll have a lot of problems. Our choices in front of goal were poor, the second half was much better, we should have done better with the extra man. We'll have to be much better in the return leg; I'd accept this as a very bad day. We'll need aggression. It's not pleasant; I expected something different. They are organized and quick; we'll need much better decisions in the return leg. I know we can do much better. We were not complete."
Stanković defended his decision to start the not-fully-integrated Luckassen. "Did I take a risk with him? Maybe, but with a player of his quality and experience, I wouldn't put a question mark. He'll be more ready in the return leg; he'll have 90 more minutes in his legs. This was his first match after the World Cup. I'll get him much better in the return leg; he's phenomenal, an experienced player. Did I take a risk with him? Yes, but he'll be better in the return leg. And I would do it again; I would put him in the starting eleven again, not because I'm stubborn, but because I need him," concluded the Red Star coach.
The financial aspect of this tie is also interesting. According to estimates, Red Star is worth over 120 million euros, while Hapoel Beer-Sheva is valued at only 20 million euros. For comparison, Vojvodina is estimated at over 30 million euros, and Hapoel is on par with OFK Belgrade in value.
Despite the defeat, Red Star believes they can turn things around at Marakana. "There's no doubt that at Marakana, the red-and-whites will give their all and advance to the play-off," writes Kurir, adding that this is a warning at the best possible time and that there is enough time in training to raise the level of play to what Red Star fans expect-dominant and powerful."
