Belgrade

On Thursday evening, UNA Strassen travel to Belgrade for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. Their opponents: Partizan Belgrade, one of Serbia's most storied clubs. On paper, and according to the bookmakers, Partizan are clear favourites. But paper has been unreliable lately.[1]

In the stone age of European cup history, matches between Serbian top clubs and Luxembourg sides were formalities. In 1963, Partizan beat Jeunesse Esch 6-2. In 1974, Red Star Belgrade beat Avenir Beggen 5-1 and 6-1. The scores were cricket scores. The matches were processions.[1]

Those times are gone. Partizan opened their domestic season on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against promoted Zemun. Serbian media has described the Luxembourg tie as "light warm-up" for the third qualifying round, but the club is in crisis: inconsistent results, fan frustration, and a squad still finding its feet under new management. Meanwhile, UNA Strassen, who earned their place by winning Luxembourg's Cup, are not the kind of opponent that rolls over anymore.[1]

Partizan fans remain convinced their team will progress without problems. Some Serbian newspapers have written that "no danger threatens from Strassen" and the tie should be "a light warm-up for the third qualifying round." These are the kinds of sentences that age poorly by Friday morning.[1]

Thursday night in Belgrade. A Luxembourg village club against a Serbian institution. The stadium will be full. The expectations will be heavy. The ball will be round. Anything else is speculation.[1]