Partizan Beats Getafe 2-1, Exits Conference League
Partizan won the second leg 2-1 against Getafe at Humska with goals from Ze and Kojzek, but the 1-3 defeat in Madrid proved decisive, leaving Partizan without Europe for a fourth straight year.
Behind the goal at the Jug end, fans were singing a full hour before kickoff. The stands were packed, tickets had long since sold out, and the man standing by Partizan’s bench knew the same thing everyone else in the stadium knew: there would be no room for half measures at Humska that night. Hotsport put the crowd at 28,247, while B92 put the number closer to 30,000. However the count is done, the stadium was full, and Partizan needed to make up for a 1-3 defeat in Madrid.
The first twenty minutes passed under pressure without a real breakthrough. Demba Sek threatened with an angled shot that struck the post, Nikola Cumic missed from close range, and then, in the 27th minute, came a moment that lifted Humska to its feet, only for the stadium to fall silent a second later. Milos Milic headed home Vukotic’s cross, but the video assistant referee disallowed the goal for offside. The score stayed 0-0 through halftime, with Krunic saving a dangerous Getafe cross late in the first period.
The second half delivered what football is played for. Ze struck from the edge of the box to put Partizan ahead, in the 53rd minute according to Hotsport, though B92’s account of the match does not give an exact minute for the goal. Humska erupted, but the celebration did not last long. In the 70th minute, following a corner and a defensive lapse, Getafe equalized through Enes Unal. Just six minutes later Partizan were back in front: Erik Kojzek, assisted by Aleksic and Miladinovic, scored what would be the winner for a final 2-1.
The night’s statistics favored Partizan. Goalkeeper Krunic made several crucial saves, and alongside him the starting lineup featured Miladinovic, Cumic, Demba Sek and Vukotic, with the home side chasing a third goal that would have forced extra time all the way to the final whistle. They never found it. The aggregate score of the tie finished 4-3 for Getafe, so Partizan will miss the group stage of a European competition for a fourth straight season.
Speaking to Arena Sport TV after the match, Sasa Ilic first thanked the stands.
This is the Partizan I want to have and want to watch. I want to first thank our fans, who gave us enormous support, and to praise all the players who gave their maximum, more than their maximum, at this moment.
The coach then added what hurt him most about the whole tie.
And honestly, what stays with me is regret over the two goals we conceded naively in Madrid. That is why we are paying for it, that is why we are not in the Conference League.
Asked about the luck the tie lacked, Ilic said the following.
We did not have luck in certain moments. Generally, I suppose luck has to be earned, and we will earn it one day.
Getafe coach Jose Bordalas, for his part, made no secret of his respect for the opponent, saying after the match at Humska that “Partizan is an institution.”
One question hung over Humska both before and after the match. The club’s board and Ilic himself had announced ahead of the second leg that he would resign regardless of the result, and the coach had agreed to lead the team against Getafe only at the board’s explicit request. When fans began chanting for him to stay on after the final whistle, Ilic made no promises.
Slow down, it’s not time for that.
As a reminder, before the second leg we reported that Ilic had submitted his resignation, with a pledge to stay on the bench through the Getafe match. Now that the match has been played and lost on aggregate, the club’s board faces the same decision it faced two weeks ago, only without the excuse of waiting for the result. Partizan enters the new Super League season without a European fall campaign, and the question of who will be on the bench when the league kicks off remains open.
