The Serbian Cup quarter-finals feature a clash between Novi Pazar and the perennial champions, Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade).
This is perhaps the most lopsided fixture on paper, as Red Star has won 23 of the last 27 meetings between the two, while Novi Pazar has only managed a single victory in that span.
Their most recent meeting was a 5-0 demolition by Red Star, highlighting the massive disparity in squad value and tactical execution. Red Star enters the match in cruise control, often rotating their squad for cup games but still maintaining a level of performance that most Serbian teams cannot match.
Novi Pazar is traditionally much stronger at home, where the atmosphere can be hostile and the pitch conditions challenging. They have been in decent form lately, picking up wins against IMT Beograd and Napredak, but facing Red Star is a different beast entirely. T
he pressure is on the home side to provide a competitive performance for their fans, while Red Star views this as a necessary hurdle toward another domestic double.
Statistically, Red Star averages over 70% possession in their domestic matches and creates an average of 8 “big chances” per game. For Novi Pazar to even stand a chance, they will need a career-best performance from their goalkeeper and a perfect execution of a counter-attacking game plan.