Crvena zvezda vs Plzen

Crvena zvezda produced a commanding performance at home, brushing aside Viktoria Plzen 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League playoff tie. The hosts were sharper, quicker, and more dangerous all night, effectively taking the contest away from their Czech visitors long before the final whistle. Mirko Ivanic was the standout, scoring twice inside the opening hour, in the 36th and 52nd minutes, both goals teed up by Timi Max Elsnik. The rout was sealed in the 89th minute when Aleksandar Katai, introduced from the bench, calmly converted a penalty awarded after a VAR review confirmed Spacil had fouled Enem inside the box. The win hands Crvena zvezda a commanding cushion heading into next week's second leg in the Czech Republic, putting a place in the next round firmly within reach. Viktoria Plzen now face a steep climb to overturn a three-goal deficit on home turf, needing a near-flawless performance just to keep their European campaign alive.