Slovenia 1-1 Serbia: Jović equalises in dying seconds to break Slovenian hearts

Summary

Luka Jović was the hero for Serbia today as he rescued them a point against Slovenia with the final touch of the game, keeping their slim hopes of progression alive.

Slovenia went ahead through Žan Karničnik in the 69th minute and, after Serbia squandered chance after chance, surely thought they would be adding three points to their tally. Dragan Stojković’s changes failed to transform the game, and Aleksandar Mitrović couldn’t hit the target no matter how hard he tried.

It was the final minute of stoppage time when Jović eventually snatched the draw by directing a header in from a corner, meaning the points were shared in Munich.

As it happened

Slovenia had clearly taken plenty of confidence from their unexpected draw with Denmark, and had as many shots on target in the first ten minutes as they’d had in that opener. Predrag Rajković had plenty to do as his colleagues kept giving away possession in their defensive half, saving efforts from Jan Mlakar and Adam Gnezda Čerin. Though Serbia enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, they recorded no shots in the first fifteen minutes while Slovenia had two. Matjaž Kek’s side looked more dangerous than their opponents, creating plenty of chances and pressing Serbia well in their own half. Erik Janža, their goalscorer against Denmark, looked lively as well as he whipped an inviting ball into the box, but nobody could latch onto the end of it.

After the early Slovenian pressure wore off, Serbia began to look more creative after they began getting Dušan Vlahović on the ball. Their first chance came after 27 minutes when Vlahović, having only minutes earlier successfully held off multiple defenders on the edge of the box to give his teammates time to join him, leapt to head towards the goal – but his effort was saved easily by Jan Oblak. He also helped win Serbia’s first corner, from which Mitrović couldn’t quite get his header on target – but this was far more positive for Dragan Stojković’s men.

Things grew more even as the half ticked away, with the final ten minutes becoming an end-to-end contest. Timi Max Elšnik went charging goalward and tried to strike first time with his laces, but the ball ricocheted off the post and Benjamin Šeško sent the rebound just over the bar. Serbia looked to respond down the other end with Tadić and Mitrović linking up well, but Slovenia’s close defending prevented them from getting a clear shot off at first. It was Serbia who had the better of the chances before the break, but Slovenia defended resolutely; Oblak had to make his first real effort of the game just before halftime, saving Mitrovic’s point-blank effort after he outmuscled Žan Karničnik at the back post. Saša Lukić had a shot blocked by Elšnik. Andrija Živković made a dangerous run down the right wing but was too slow to pull the trigger and Jaka Bijol was able to clear, urging on the Slovenian supporters behind the goal in the aftermath; the resulting corner came to nothing and would be the final chance of the half. If the final ten minutes were any indication, the second half promised a far more open game.

It was Serbia who looked the more dangerous after the restart, too; after a smart one-two with Tadić, Mitrović escaped from Bijol and again it took the experienced Oblak to close down the shot. Bijol had to intervene a moment later as well to beat Vlahović to a dangerous cross from Mijat Gaćinović (who had been introduced at halftime). It looked for a moment as though he would become the fifth player to score an own goal at the tournament, but mercifully for him it went out for a corner. Smelling blood, Mitrović would try again for the opener a minute later – Tadić’s ball from the right wing was inch-perfect to land on Mitrović’s head in the box but his attempt was over the bar.

The first five minutes were all Serbia until Andraž Šporar almost sent Benjamin Šeško through on goal on the counter-attack and Slovenia were able to build a few passing sequences. Serbia tried to stamp out those attacks as quickly as possible and gave away a few freekicks for their trouble, including a booking for Lukić. This second half was quickly opening up; Slovenia were still menacing on the break and Šesko tried to bend in a characteristic curling shot, which Rajković was equal to.

At 65 minutes on the clock, the match (uncharacteristically for EURO2024) remained goalless, with fans and players alike becoming impatient – it was Žan Karničnik who finally broke the deadlock after 69 minutes. Predictably, it started within their own half and Serbia were this time too slow to react; Elšnik’s cross was bang on after racing forward down the left wing, and Karničnik found himself unmarked at the back post to tuck it home. With a little over 20 minutes remaining, Slovenia led – at this rate, Serbia’s qualification hopes would be miniscule at full time.

Karničnik was equally heroic at the other end moments later – Mitrović looked certain to score but the defender’s outstretched leg deflected the ball just enough for it to smack the crossbar and not the back of the net. Serbia were desperate for a goal, knowing this result would all but destroy their qualification hopes, but were let off from going two behind within ten minutes. Karničnik, now with a taste for the attacking life, snuck up the pitch once more and tried his luck from the edge of the box this time – unfortunately his shot was just wide.

Stojković continued to pile on the changes with his side desperately needing a goal in the last ten minutes; Lazar Samardžić nearly had a dream start, dribbling along the edge of the box before unleashing a shot that snuck across the area but out harmlessly past the far post. Serbia were throwing everything at the goal, sending consecutive corners into the box and shooting on sight in some cases – Luka Ilić tried his luck first time from some distance but it was blocked. They simply couldn’t convert their possession into sustained pressure, with some attempted through balls rolling to nobody and some long balls drifting harmlessly out of play. Veljko Birmančević, another 82nd-minute introduction, looked among the most energetic as he tried to weave past the Slovenian defenders, but again the back line held firm and Serbia could not produce an end product. Their frustration showed, Luka Jović and Gaćinović going into the book in the closing stages as plastic bottles and cups rained onto the pitch from the Serbia fans behind the goal.

A subpar Serbia looked to be on the brink of heading home; they’d need a miracle for a result from this game, and sent every player (even Rajković) up to the box for a corner in the final minute of added time. Jović, who’d struggled for clear-cut chances since coming on with 25 minutes to play, watched the ball perfectly as it soared from the corner. Sandwiched between two defenders, he stood his ground and directed his header past Oblak with literally the final touch of the match.

It was heartbreak for Slovenia, who defended fantastically for the majority of the second half only to stumble at the last possible hurdle. The Serbian fans were sent into raptures as Slovenia’s players sank to the turf after the full-time whistle, knowing they had come incredibly close to a huge boost to their chances of progressing.

Both sides will have a fuller picture after Denmark face England in Group C’s other fixture tonight. Follow reaction to all the developments, and coverage of the Three Lions’ match, here on FromTheSpot.

The lineups

SVN: Oblak; Karničnik, Drkušič, Bijol, Janža; Stojanović, Čerin, Elšnik, Mlakar; Šporar, Šeško.

SRB: Rajković; Veljković, Milenković, Pavlović; Živković, Lukić, Ilić, Mladenović; Tadić; Mitrović, Vlahović