Kostov gives Crvena Zvezda a 1-0 win over IMT after Riera changes his attack

Crvena Zvezda beat IMT 1-0 at Lagator Stadium, with Vasilije Kostov scoring the only goal in the 31st minute. Albert Riera started Kostov after the midfielder had missed the previous match with a rib injury. Aleksandar Katai remained unavailable, while Marko Arnautovic began on the bench. The result followed Riera's call for better movement and a more accurate final pass near goal.

Kostov returned and Katai remained out

Riera had ruled Katai out because of a calf problem sustained in the previous match. He described the injury in the context of a demanding schedule and the need to manage minutes, particularly after playing a full match on an artificial surface. His explanation was about fitness and workload, not a disciplinary decision or a permanent change in the player's role.

Kostov took a blow to the ribs against Partizan and subsequently missed the Radnik game. Arnautovic also missed that match after a calf problem during the week. The final team sheet showed Kostov in the starting side and Arnautovic among the substitutes. Kostov then supplied the decisive moment by scoring in the 31st minute. Their different roles showed why a pre-match fitness update could not be treated as a confirmed lineup.

Possession must produce better chances

The coach's main criticism of the Radnik performance concerned the final attacking zone. He was satisfied with how Zvezda controlled the earlier stages of possession and with the team's work without the ball. In his assessment, the problem was converting that control into effective actions close to goal.

Training discussions have therefore focused on the movement of the attacking midfielders and wide players, the final pass and the positions taken inside the penalty area. The aim is to put more players in useful finishing positions. This is more specific than simply asking the team to keep the ball longer: Riera wants the pass and the supporting run to arrive at the right moment.

Nakayama gives the coach several options

Riera praised Yuta Nakayama's understanding of the game after his debut in the previous fixture. He highlighted the defender's decisions about when to pass and when to hold the ball, as well as his ability to contribute in more than one position. Those qualities fit the positional changes the coach wants to make during a match.

Riera explained that moving players between the left, right and central areas can help create a numerical advantage in midfield. The opponent then has to decide whether to follow that movement or protect another space. His praise does not establish one fixed starting position for Nakayama against IMT. It explains why a player who reads those situations well can be useful in several versions of the team.

Kim was substituted for tactical reasons

The coach also explained why he replaced Kim early in the match against Radnik. Kim was not injured. Riera wanted to change the team's movement and passing combinations because he felt the player had not fully understood how to coordinate with his teammates. The coach said he had already discussed the substitution with Kim and explained the changes he wanted to see.

The important point was coordination. Riera wants players to know where to move and how their choices affect the rest of the team before they try to solve situations individually. An early substitution can be uncomfortable for a player, he acknowledged, but his explanation concerned a particular match situation. It was not an announcement that Kim had been excluded from future plans.

IMT required a different approach from Radnik

Riera said the staff had analysed IMT and would adjust to the qualities of the next opponent. He declined to reveal the specific strengths they had identified or the changes designed to address them. He did, however, say that IMT did some things differently from Radnik and that supporters should expect another variation in Zvezda's approach.

The coach also left open the possibility of using several young players. He praised their willingness to learn and their enthusiasm, but did not promise an appearance to any individual. Starting Kostov provided a clear example of youth being used in the final selection. His goal decided the match, although one successful moment does not remove the need to improve the team's attacking fluency.

The league points carry the same value

Riera's final message was about concentration from the opening minute. He reminded the squad that a win against a less prominent opponent carries the same three points as a derby victory. In his view, giving one fixture greater emotional importance must not reduce the intensity brought to another.

In the IMT match, Zvezda protected the lead created by Kostov and took the three points. The narrow score also keeps Riera's earlier concern relevant: one goal was enough for victory, but it did not turn the preceding problems near the penalty area into a closed question. The team obtained the result while still leaving room for a clearer attacking performance.

Kostov decided the match at Lagator

The fixture took place at Lagator Stadium in Loznica. Kostov's 31st-minute goal separated the teams and gave Zvezda a 1-0 win. The return of the young midfielder therefore mattered immediately, while Katai's absence and Arnautovic's place on the bench changed the attacking options available to Riera.

The outcome should be kept separate from the coach's comments made before kickoff. His comments explain the selection questions and the work done after the scoreless match against Radnik. The final result adds the answer: Kostov was fit to start, scored the winner and helped Zvezda leave Loznica with all three league points.