Red Star Belgrade moved toward the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on Monday, beating Northern Irish champions Larne 4-0 away from home. For Bulgarians following the tournament, there is a secondary storyline inside that scoreline: national team midfielder Kristiyan Balov was again left on the bench, his competitive debut for the Serbian club still to come.
How Red Star did it
According to Gong, Red Star took control early and opened the scoring in the 26th minute through a Bruno Duarte penalty, awarded after a Larne defender handled the ball inside the area. The visitors created further chances before the break but did not extend their lead until the second half.
Substitute Osman Bukari set up the second goal in the 55th minute, beating his marker along the touchline before cutting the ball back to Vasilije Kostov, who converted to make it 2-0. Bruno Duarte added his second in the 67th minute, finishing off a pass from Mohamed Abu Fani. New signing Muhamed Cham completed the scoring with a strike from the edge of the penalty area shortly before the final whistle, giving coach Dejan Stankovic's side a 4-0 win.
Balov watches and waits
Kristiyan Balov, who came through the youth ranks at Slavia Sofia, was unused throughout the match. Gong reports that Balov also did not feature in Red Star's earlier 5-0 Serbian league win over Machva, leaving him without an official appearance for the club, which last won the European Cup in 1991.
