Our boys failed to finish the year at the very top of the table, after another uncertain duel, Spartak from Subotica managed to remain the leader in the Super League before the holiday break.

Red Star Belgrade was defeated at Banjica in the tenth round of the Banka Poštanska Stedionica Super League with a score of 2-3, in sets of 25-20, 25-27, 23-25, 15:17 and 9:15.

Both teams continued where they left off just a week ago in the golden set of the Serbian Cup semi-final, and at the start of the match it was clear that it would be a fierce battle from the first to the last point.

Our guys opened the first set slightly better and kept the score under control, the guests threatened non-stop, even taking the lead at one point, but they failed to take over the dominance until the end and Red Star won the first half of the game.

The second set started similarly, it seemed as if Red Star was, albeit slightly, still in the lead and we needed to miss two match points for Spartak to get back into the game and turn things around, ending the second half of the game in their favor with a score of 27:25.

The third set continued the fight from the first two, the lead changed from point to point, and again in the final set the guests were better and took a 2-1 lead.

Our guys sobered up in the fourth set, a much more convincing start and they made a comfortable lead in the first part of the set, which they kept and won the now expected fifth set.

We returned to the rhythm of the first three sets, uncertain changes of lead and advantage during the first half of the last set and then a drop in concentration of our guys, which Spartak took advantage of and gained an advantage with a series of 9 points compared to our 3 and brought the match to an end in their favor.

The most efficient player in the Red Star team was Alija Bekrić with 19 points, Milan Krstić added 16 points, while Omar Ahmed Dejo and Andrej Rudić scored 14 and 10 points respectively.

An extremely difficult period is behind our guys, a hellish rhythm throughout the entire half-season, but we remain at the top of the table and with great chances of qualifying for the next round of the CEV Challenger Cup, unfortunately without the final of the Serbian Cup.

A short holiday break is ahead of us and already in the first week of 2026. We have a second leg match of the 1/16 finals of the Challenger Cup waiting for us when Mladost from Zagreb will come to Banjica.