Vučinić curtails Croatian hopes

Mirko Vučinić scored a hat-trick as nine-man Serbia and Montenegro took a significant stride towards a place in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a 3-1 win against Croatia in the first leg of their play-off in Belgrade.

Expectant crowd
An expectant crowd of over 32,000 packed into the FK Crvena Zvezda stadium, and they were not disappointed as Vučinić broke the deadlock inside three minutes. Croatia lost just one of their ten group games to reach this stage, however, and soon recovered, Eduardo Da Silva putting them back on level terms midway through the half. But Vučinić would not be denied the limelight, and after restoring the lead soon after the restart, the US Lecce forward secured the win with clinical precision with 21 minutes remaining, although the home side's celebrations were somewhat undermined by two scond-half dismissals.

Croatian ascendancy
Vučinić was in clincial mood from the kick-off and scored from the first attacking move of the game, powering in a header after a sumptuous cross from Boško Janković. But Croatia refused to be daunted and gradually edged their way back into the game, grasping control of a busy midfield and eventually reaping their reward when Da Silva applied the finishing touch to a fine move involving Luka Modric and Ognjen Vukojević. Vučinić restored the lead six minutes into the second period, however, rifling in a shot after meeting Miloš Krasić's accurate cross.

Crucial absences
The home side's momentum looked to have been checked when Janković was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card on the hour but that did not prove to be the case as Vučinić completed his hat-trick nine minutes later. Serbo-Monenegrin captain Danko Lazović saw red soon after and although Croatia could not reduce the deficit, they will feel that with Serbia and Montenegro weakened by absences – Krasić and Simon Vukcević will also be suspended - they can turn the tie around in the second leg on Wednesday.