Crvena Zvezda’s Dominance

Following their victory in the “Eternal Derby,” Crvena Zvezda has ascended to the top spot in the league standings. This impressive feat is further highlighted by having a game in hand over Partizan and two games over most other teams. Given their current form, it seems improbable that Radnicki 1923 will be able to halt the champions’ momentum.

Unblemished Domestic Record

Crvena Zvezda maintains a flawless record in the domestic league, having dropped no points against Serbian opponents. Their only minor setbacks have come against international clubs: a 1-1 draw against Celtic in the Europa League group stage last Wednesday, and a Champions League exit in late August after facing Cypriot side Paphos (1-2, 1-1 aggregate). Even fierce rivals Partizan struggled to contain the “Red-Whites” at home, falling 2-1. Remarkably, Crvena Zvezda secured that victory even without goals from Marko Arnautovic, who joined in August. Nevertheless, the Austrian international has already contributed significantly with one goal and three assists in the Serbian championship, including his strike against Celtic.

Radnicki 1923’s Defensive Strength

Radnicki 1923’s primary hope lies in their defensive solidity. They boast one of the league’s tighter defenses, having conceded only 10 goals so far. This figure is notably better than most teams, with only Crvena Zvezda (5) and Vojvodina (6) having superior records. Even Partizan has conceded the same number of goals as the Kragujevac-based club. Since the start of the season, only home teams have managed to score more than once against Aleksandar Lukovic’s squad – these instances include matches against Partizan (1-2), Javor (2-2), IMT Novi Beograd (0-2), and Radnik (3-2). This suggests that while they concede periodically, it’s generally not by a large margin.

Betting Outlook

Considering Crvena Zvezda’s offensive prowess, they are certainly capable of scoring two goals in this fixture. The question remains: will they manage more? Given their physically demanding match on Wednesday, despite three full days of recovery, squad rotation is anticipated. Therefore, my prediction leans towards a victory for the home side, but I expect it to be a less dominant win than some might anticipate.