Red Star Rest Kostov Against Larne as Krunic Returns
Red Star host Larne at 8 p.m. in the Champions League second qualifying round return leg. Vasilije Kostov drops out of the starting eleven, Rade Krunic is back in training, Bukari plays.
Vasilije Kostov came off tired against Vojvodina, and then felt something in his right adductor. That was enough for Dejan Stankovic to say the quiet part out loud a day before Red Star Belgrade’s return leg against Larne.
“Kostov will not start, because he came off against Vojvodina tired and felt his right adductor a little. He is fit and, if needed, he would certainly play, but there is no reason for me to take a risk.”
This is the same player who scored in Belfast, in a game Red Star won 4-0. Bruno Duarte got two that night and Mohamed Cham added the fourth. Kostov then put in his shift in the Serbian SuperLiga, where both Red Star and Partizan opened the season with wins, and the minutes piled up until the coach pulled the handbrake.
The Champions League second qualifying round return leg kicks off at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29 at the Rajko Mitic Stadium, live on Arena Sport 1 Premium.
Why is Stankovic talking about a nice problem to have?
Because his squad has filled back up. Rade Krunic has returned to full training, which turns the midfield from a contingency plan back into a choice.
“Rade Krunic is back in training. Everyone is available and now I have a nice problem when it comes to the lineup. I will rotate in order to widen the squad.”
Rotation in a tie like this is arithmetic, not luxury. Red Star carry a four-goal cushion, they are at home, and the calendar tightens through mid-August to the point where every unnecessary minute charges interest later on.
One name is exempt from every combination. Osman Bukari plays, only nobody knows where.
“I cannot dictate the lineup, but Bukari will certainly play. I still do not know exactly how,” Stankovic said.
New signing Lukasen has to wait for his debut. The coach spelled out exactly how far along he is.
“He worked on his own yesterday, he put his boots on. He will need a little more time to join us.”
What a settled tie still gives Red Star
On paper, not much. In practice, the one thing they need right now, which is rhythm. Stankovic said so himself, without hiding behind the scoreline from Northern Ireland.
“We play at home, there will be a lot of fans, we have an obligation to be the strongest, the best, the most organised. It changes nothing for me that we won 4-0 there, this is a new game, it matters for building form, for widening the squad. We are ready.”
Then came the line that gets repeated at this club every season, rarely this compactly.
“You wear the Red Star shirt, we respect everyone, but we look at ourselves first. Which means we have to look phenomenal.”
Who is waiting in the third round
This is where the tie stops being a formality. In the third qualifying round Red Star meet the winner of Vikingur against Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and the Icelandic side took the first leg at home 2-1.
The dates are already set:
- the third round first leg is away, on August 4 or 5
- the return leg is on August 11 in Belgrade
- domestic league fixtures sit in between
That is why tonight’s team sheet carries weight the 4-0 does not suggest. Stankovic is running players through Larne who he will need in August, and keeping Kostov back for an opponent that will not concede four inside the first half of a tie.
If that reads correctly, tonight is a trial rather than a spectacle. And a trial is watched differently: not by who scores, but by who holds ninety minutes without a lapse. The first real answer arrives on August 4, away from home.
