A vibrant match, back and forth, of brawl and battle, a Balkan duel, in short, ended in a draw after the last play, an episode that rescued Serbia on the hour, which was on its way to a painful defeat against Slovenia. It was there, in a climax at the height of the emotionality of the duel, when Jovic finished off a corner kick into the net, a target full of caste and instinct because even while being held by a defender, the faith of the scorer prevailed to connect a shot that sealed a tie that no one could say was undeserved.
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Jan Oblak, Vanja Drkusic, Zan Karnicnik, Jaka Bijol, Erik Janza, Petar Stojanovic, Jan Mlakar, Adam Gnezda Cerin, Timi Max Elsnik, Benjamin Sesko, Andraz Sporar, Jon Gorenc Stankovic (Jan Mlakar, min. 63), Zan Vipotnik ( Benjamin Sesko, min. 75), Benjamin Verbic (Petar Stojanovic, min. 75) and David Brekalo (Timi Max Elsnik, min. 90)
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Predrag Rajkovic, Milos Veljkovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Andrija Zivkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Sasa Lukic, Ivan Ilic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Dusan Tadic, Mijat Gacinovic (Filip Mladenovic, min. 45), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Sasa Lukic, min. 63), Luka Jovic (Dusan Vlahovic, min. 63), Veljko Birmancevic (Andrija Zivkovic, min. 81) and Lazar Samardzic (Dusan Tadic, min. 81)
Goals
1-0 min. 68: Zan Karnicnik. 1-1 min. 95: Jovic
Referee István Kovács
Yellow cards
Mladenovic (min. 24), Sasa Lukic (min. 53), Erik Janza (min. 86), Jovic (min. 91), Gacinovic (min. 92), Zan Vipotnik (min. 93)
Serbia celebrated at the end because they saw themselves with one foot at home. And Slovenia suffered because the victory left them virtually qualified for the round of 16 and now they face a tough final day against England and who knows, pending what happens in other groups. Both went through a roller coaster in which the Slovenians started at a peak, bold, with the ability to reach the area and activate the excellent finisher Sesko. The Serbs entered the game to the extent that Tadic did, standard bearer of the classic Serbian school of good footing, formerly Yugoslav, when today’s rivals were playing yesterday under the same flag. There I was, when the war devastated everything, PiksiStojkovic, now Serbian coach, who did not hesitate to turn his team around at half-time.
It happened that Serbia, when they didn’t have the ball, had a tendency to get stuck. And Slovenia took advantage of it to be seen. Elsnik hit the post and left a serious warning to the Piksi He acknowledged receipt to put Gacinovic and Milinkovic-Savic into action, two men who look towards the rival goal. The decision was balsamic. Serbia came out in the second half ready to attack the goal defended by Oblak. Tadic shared the game and Vlahovic and Mitrovic finished off. The Serbian stands began to roar and Slovenia folded to take shelter from the downpour. But he also decided to hit and did so after an exuberant gallop by the full-back Karnicnik, a footballer who plays in the local league, who recovered the ball, launched the attack and culminated it with an arrival at the far post to push into the net.
Serbia reeled from the slap, but found its characteristic pride to maintain a thread of life. He focused a lot and finished less, pressed in search of an equalizer and found it on the last play.
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