Larne vs Crvena Zvezda Preview
Larne lack the quality to compete with Crvena Zvezda. The Serbian giants had a confidence-boosting victory on Friday and can win this Champions League Qualifier.
Key Stats - Crvena Zvezda Win a Lot
- Larne have seen over 2.5 goals in 3 of their last 5 home games.
- Crvena Zvezda have won 12 of their last 15 matches.
- Crvena Zvezda have seen over 3.5 goals in 3 consecutive games.
H2H
This will be the first-ever match between Larne and Crvena Zvezda.
Larne Face a Step Up in Class
Gary Haveron’s Larne have lost once in their previous 10 matches. Their most recent defeat was a 4-1 loss at home against Coleraine.
The Inver Reds started the new season with a 0-0 Charity Shield draw against Coleraine. Larne eventually won 3-2 on penalties.
The Northern Irish team beat the Sammarinese side 3-1 on aggregate in the Champions League Qualification first round. Larne edged to a 1-0 win away in the first leg.
Haveron’s team followed that victory with a 2-1 home win in the second leg. The Inver Reds conceded after 11 minutes and Matt Ridley and Dan Bent hit back.
Crvena Zvezda Are a Dangerous Side
Serbian giants Crvena Zvezda have qualified for the Champions League group stages in the past two seasons.
Dejan Stankovic’s side enter the qualification rounds after winning their eighth consecutive SuperLiga title in 2025/26. They scored 87 goals in 30 league phase matches last season.
Crvena Zvezda started pre-season with a three-match unbeaten run, beating Amstetten 2-1 and drawing with Slovan Bratislava 1-1 and BW Linz 2-2. That streak ended with a 3-1 loss to Zenit St Petersburg.
The Belgrade outfit made a winning start to their 2026/27 season and thrashed Macva 5-0. The Red-Whites had 3.73 XG, 27 shots and Bruno Duarte, Rade Krunic and Vasilije Kostov scored.
Predicted Starting Lineups & Team News
Larne (4-3-3): Rohan Ferguson; Tomas Cosgrove, Dan Bent, Matt Ridley, Aaron Donnelly; Ronan Doherty, Chris Gallagher, Sean Graham; Conor McKendry, Montel Gibson, Matthew Lusty
Larne have no injuries or suspensions.
Striker Matthew Lusty is expected to start after scoring four goals in his last three starts.
Crvena Zvezda (4-1-4-1): Savo Radanovic; Young-Woo Seol, Milos Veljkovic, Strahinja Erakovic, Nair Tiknizyan; Rade Krunic; Loizos Loizou, Vasilije Kostov, Mohammed Abu Fani, Mirko Ivanic; Bruno Duarte
Midfielder Rade Krunic is unavailable due to a knee injury.
Full-back Adem Avdic is also sidelined with a cruciate ligament issue.