Crvena Zvezda's Milan Rodic (L) vies with Salzburg's Reinhold Yabo during the 1st leg of UEFA Champions League Play-offs football match between Crvena Zvezda and Salzburg in Belgrade, Serbia on Aug. 21, 2018.The match ended in a 0-0 draw. (Xinhua/Predrag Milosavljevic)
BELGRADE, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Champions of the Serbian and Austrian football leagues were equal after the first leg of the UEFA Champions League that ended without goals at the Rajko Mitic stadium in Belgrade on Tuesday.
The battle to qualify for the group stage of the competition started without the home audience at the stadium, due to alleged racist chants among home fans, and their blocking of the stairways at the qualifications match against Suduva on July 24.
Hundreds of fans watched the show instead on monitors placed on the street nearby.
The teams started the match as equal rivals, playing strong defense and looking for opportunities for scoring from counterattacks. However, they did not create any concrete chances before the 20th minute when Red Star goalkeeper Milan Borjan stopped the shot of Zlatko Junuzovic.
The first half was marked by tight defensive play and absence of goals or successful passes, along with a strong physical presence from both teams.
In the second half, Red Star created several scoring chances, the most serious of which was in the 70th minute when Salzburg's goalkeeper Cican Stankovic made an attractive save to stop a powerful header from Milos Degenek off a corner kick.
By the end of the match, both teams put all eleven men behind the ball to preserve the 0-0 draw, rarely managing to take their possession across midfield.
The second game to be played in Austria next Wednesday will decide which team will advance to the group phase of the UEFA Champions League.
