FK Crvena Zvezda vs Larne – 29 Jul 2026

Crvena Zvezda vs Larne — UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round (2nd Leg)
29 July 2026, 19:00 UK / 20:00 CEST | Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade

Crvena Zvezda host Larne with the tie already all but settled after a crushing 4-0 first-leg win in Northern Ireland. Barring a genuine miracle, Dejan Stanković's side will be progressing to the next round — this second leg is really about maintaining momentum rather than genuine jeopardy.

First-leg recap:
Red Star were utterly dominant in Inver Park, racking up 69% possession and 15 shots on goal to Larne's zero. A first-half penalty opened the scoring before three further goals after the break sealed a comprehensive 4-0 win in what was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

Form heading in:
Crvena Zvezda have started the season at a blistering pace, netting 12 goals in three official matches — a 5-0 thrashing of newly-promoted Mačva Šabac, a 3-1 win over Vojvodina, and the demolition of Larne away from home. Vasilije Kostov has been in exceptional form with five goals and an assist across his last five appearances, while Bruno Duarte already has six goal contributions on the season. Nine-time reigning Serbian champions, Red Star's squad depth allows Stanković to rotate freely without any real drop-off in quality.

Larne, enjoying their deepest-ever run in Champions League qualifying after beating San Marino's Tre Fiori in the first round, face an almost impossible task in Belgrade. Their away record in Europe offers little hope — scoreless in nine of their last 16 continental away matches, and they've picked up seven yellow cards across their last five games, a sign they can be pulled into disciplinary trouble under sustained pressure. Matthew Ridley, scoring from a defensive role, is their main outlet, and Gary Haveron may go with two strikers now that a cautious approach serves no purpose.

Prediction & odds:
With the tie effectively decided, the main markets here revolve around the scoreline rather than the outcome — Red Star are heavily favoured (odds around 1.06 to advance), with a -2.5 goals handicap on the hosts priced near 1.68 reflecting expectations of another rout. Larne's best hope is simply avoiding another heavy defeat and grabbing a consolation goal to end the tie with some pride intact.