Partizan ease past Valletta
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
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FK Partizan 3-1 Valletta FC (agg: 7-2)
The Serbian champions overpowered their Maltese counterparts for a second time, despite another goal from Michael Mifsud.
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Nemanja Tomić scored twice as FK Partizan defeated Valletta FC 3-1, securing a place in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round 7-2 on aggregate.
A 4-1 first-leg loss had left Valletta on the brink and, again, they had no answer to the Partizan attack. Tomić hit a double and Aleksandar Mitrović added a third, although Michael Mifsud's second-half strike gave his side something to cheer.
Lazar Marković hit a post early on, but, as in their opening contest, Tomić was the firestarter, heading in Nikola Aksentijević's cross to put Partizan ahead after ten minutes. Stefan Babović struck the upright and Tomić missed when one-on-one with Valletta goalkeeper André Krul as the hosts hunted a second, but it was the visitors who scored next.
Unsurprisingly, it was Mifsud, on target in the first leg, who struck, the forward turning in William Barbosa's pass for his sixth goal in four matches this European campaign. Their joy was brief, as captain Saša Ilić set up Tomić to fire in his second, before Mitrović rounded off the scoring 17 minutes from time. Partizan will face AEL Limassol FC or Linfield FC in the next round.
