Luka Jovic rescues Serbia with last-gasp equaliser against Slovenia in Group C
This result may help everyone and no one but, at the end, it had the feeling of a resounding win for Serbia. They were heading to defeat and likely elimination, the referee Istvan Kovacs checking his watch one last time, when they won a corner after desperately loading the box. Up came their goalkeeper, Predrag Rajkovic, and perhaps his presence was a crucial distraction for a hitherto tight Slovenia back line. Ivan Ilic’s delivery sailed over his head and was met by Luka Jovic, the substitute, whose header flashed past Jan Oblak.
Pandemonium ensued and there was no time for the game to restart. Slovenia’s players sank to the floor. They would surely have qualified for the round of 16 if the right-back Zan Karnicnik’s 69th-minute goal had secured their first ever Euros victory, and would have deserved to. Now they must, at the barest minimum, draw against England and hope. Serbia’s lifeline still means only a win against Denmark will do, but this shift in momentum may work wonders for their campaign.
For most neutrals this was the day’s undercard but, once again, two less-fancied nations packed out one of Europe’s great stadiums. This felt as big an occasion as any, the stakes high and the atmosphere close, muggy, taut. The obvious attraction was a clash of strikers who would both cut a dash in more celebrated shirts. Premier League clubs may have to wait another year to lure Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig but nobody questions his potential to thrive there; facing him was Dusan Vlahovic, who continues to make a sound argument that he belongs in the elite bracket.
In a scuffly first half, high on energy and intent but generally lacking cohesion, the clearest opening fell to Sesko eight minutes before the interval. Slovenia had looked the more threatening side and, when the former Derby midfielder Timi Max Elsnik burst into space on the right of the box, they had their big opportunity. Elsnik struck cleanly but rapped the near post; Sesko, with an empty net to aim for as defenders slid to intervene, could not wrap his foot around the rebound and curled it wide.
It had the effect of opening proceedings up. Until then Slovenia, showing the shape and discipline of a team that had lost once in the previous 13 games, had defended their territory smartly and broken with purpose on occasion. Jan Mlakar drew an early save from Rajkovic, drilling against his left shin from an angle, and the keeper was worried again by a right-sided cross that required pawing away from Andraz Sporar.
Serbia, given a sufficiently rough time that Filip Mladenovic took a booking for desperately taking out Karnicnik, had nothing to show for the first half-hour bar a Vlahovic header that met Oblak’s arms. Dragan Stojkovic had recalled Dusan Tadic, looking for guile to accompany the energy that took England the distance, but the final-third spaces he enjoys were firmly closed off.
Sesko’s miss seemed to enliven them. Aleksandar Mitrovic, who had earlier failed to get meaningful contact on a corner that bounced in front of goal, held Karnicnik off but saw Oblak block at close quarters. VAR might have ruled Andrija Zivkovic, who crossed the ball, offside had it gone in.
There would have been less doubt if Oblak had not foiled Mitrovic again two minutes after the restart, standing firm after Tadic had finally found a pocket to slip him through. Oblak was rooted to the spot shortly afterwards when Jaka Bijol miscued a delivery from Mijat Gacinovic, who had replaced Mladenovic, and sent the ball a foot wide of his own net. Mitrovic immediately saw a header deflected wide and Serbia, attacking their most boisterous bank of support, had restarted like a train.
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Now they were pulling Slovenia around, Tadic taking a wide position on the right and flashing a centre that narrowly evaded Mitrovic. As the hour approached, though, there came a reminder of Sesko’s gifts. Rajkovic was at full strength to tip over after he had marauded in from the left to let fly and, by now, both goalkeepers had earned their corn.
Now the match had ebb and flow. Both managers rolled the dice, Vlahovic among those replaced, and it was Slovenia who contrived a brilliant counterattacking goal. Gacinovic seemed likely to make ground down the left flank but lost control of the ball and Karnicnik stepped in. Now Serbia were exposed and Karnicnik could eat up the ground, advancing 50 yards before sweeping the ball left into the path of Elsnik. He continued his lung-busting run and, appearing at the back post to meet the subsequent cross, slid in to complete a long distance one-two.
fDid Serbia have the wherewithal to hit back? Mitrovic flashed on to a Zivkovic cross but, via a crucial snick off Karnicnik, thudded the bar. The substitute Lazar Samardzic arrowed a low shot wide but the notes were only of frustration until Jovic struck.