FK Crvena Zvezda vs IMT Novi Beograd Match Recap - Oct 19, 2025

Ivanić’s Hat-Trick Headlines Red Star’s Ruthless 6-1 Statement, Keeping Title Pace Unblemished

On a brisk October night at the Stadion Rajko Mit, FK Crvena Zvezda issued a thunderous reminder of their championship ambitions, dismantling IMT Novi Beograd 6-1 in front of a jubilant home crowd. What began as a fixture between teams separated by both pedigree and points swiftly turned into a spectacle, orchestrated by the mercurial Mirko Ivanić and punctuated with the kind of attacking authority that has become Zvezda’s calling card this season.

The narrative of this match belonged not to a contest of equals, but to a Red Star side intent on exorcising any memory of recent continental frustrations. Just two weeks removed from a sobering Europa League loss to FC Porto, Dejan Stanković’s men unleashed pent-up energy with a relentless offensive from the first whistle. The opening quarter-hour crackled with expectation before Marko Arnautović punctured the tension, ghosting into the box and coolly slotting home the early lead in the 15th minute. For Arnautović, it was a strike born of both experience and timing, moments before Zvezda’s midfield seized the narrative entirely.

From that point forward, the evening belonged to Ivanić. The captain’s first goal arrived in the 23rd minute following a swift interplay that left the IMT defense spread thin; his curling left-footed finish nestled inside the post, a sign of things to come. As the half waned, Ivanić doubled his tally—this time capitalizing on an errant clearance, pouncing in the 44th minute to send Red Star into the break with a commanding 3-0 advantage.

The second half provided no respite for the visitors. Ivanić’s third—an emphatic first-time strike in the 54th minute—completed his hat-trick and effectively sealed the match well before the hour mark. Each goal further drained IMT’s resolve, and Zvezda’s attacking appetite remained undiminished. Vasilije Kostov, whose contributions have become increasingly decisive in recent weeks, joined the revelry with a sharp finish in the 72nd minute, capping yet another dominant display from the young forward.

For IMT Novi Beograd, the rare bright moment arrived in the 80th minute—a consolation strike, the scorer lost amid the growing shadows and the roar of a crowd preparing to celebrate. It did little to alter the trajectory of an encounter defined by Red Star’s authority. Any fleeting hope of a late rally was erased four minutes later, when Luka Zaric tapped in Zvezda’s sixth, underscoring the gulf that separated these two sides on this night.

In the wider context of the Super Liga, tonight’s emphatic result preserves Crvena Zvezda’s perfect domestic record: nine wins from nine, a pristine 27-point haul that keeps them squarely in second place, locked in an early-season duel with perennial rivals for Serbia’s most cherished prize. The sting of European disappointment has done little to blunt their edge on home soil. Each league performance, particularly those as one-sided as this, serves notice to the opposition that last season’s standards remain intact—if not heightened.

IMT Novi Beograd, conversely, must now reckon with their fourth defeat in six matches, a run that has seen them slip to 11th in the table after a promising September. While recent victories over Spartak Zdrepceva KRV and Radnicki NIS suggested promise, tonight’s defensive unraveling exposed the work that remains for manager Zoran Milinković. The lack of composure under pressure and inability to contain Zvezda’s surging midfield was ruthlessly exploited, and the margin of defeat—both literal and psychological—may linger longer than the 90 minutes themselves.

Recent head-to-head history between these sides has seen little in the way of drama or surprise; Zvezda’s supremacy remains uncontested, with tonight's demolition only widening the historical chasm. Yet for Red Star, there is no resting on laurels. With derby foes and European adversaries looming, maintaining this level against lesser opposition is both obligation and expectation.

As the autumn campaign accelerates, Crvena Zvezda’s path appears as clear as their intent: every match an audition for the title, every goal a step closer to yet another triumph. For IMT Novi Beograd, reflection and recalibration are urgent. Survival in the top flight will require resilience beyond what was displayed under the lights of Rajko Mit—a lesson taught in unforgiving fashion by a side that, for now, remains flawless.