Red Star Belgrade vs Larne predictions focus on the Champions League second qualifying round second leg. The tie moves to the Rajko Mitic Stadium on Wednesday 29th July with kick-off at 7pm BST.
Red Star carry a commanding 4-0 lead from the first leg at Inver Park. Bruno Duarte’s double, a Vasilije Kostov strike and a Muhammed Cham thunderbolt settled the contest in emphatic fashion. Larne travel to Belgrade needing to overturn the heaviest deficit in their European history. The Northern Irish champions managed just one shot across 90 minutes in the opening leg.
Dejan Stankovic’s side controlled 69% of possession and peppered Rohan Ferguson’s goal with 15 shots on target. The Serbian champions finished the 2025/26 SuperLiga season with 100 goals in 37 matches on their way to a ninth consecutive title. The gulf in quality between these two sides could hardly be wider.
Red Star Belgrade vs Larne predictions and betting tips
| OUR PREDICTION | ODDS & BOOKMAKER | WHY WE’RE BACKING IT |
|---|---|---|
| Red Star Belgrade to win to nil | 8/15 with SpreadEx (65.2%) | Larne registered one shot and zero on target across 90 minutes in the first leg. Red Star Belgrade conceded only 31 goals in 37 Serbian SuperLiga matches last season on their way to the title. Milos Veljkovic and Strahinja Erakovic anchor a defence tested at Europa League level, where the club reached the knockout phase play-offs. The Northern Irish side created nothing at Inver Park and should find even fewer openings at the Marakana. Haveron’s side scored 73 goals in 38 NIFL Premiership matches last season. Domestic quality and European quality are worlds apart. A comfortable home victory without conceding is the likeliest outcome. |
| Red Star Belgrade to win both halves | 13/20 with William Hill (60.6%) | Stankovic’s men scored in both halves of the first leg. Duarte struck on 26 minutes before Kostov (55′), Duarte again (67′) and Cham (85′) completed the rout. Aleksandar Katai topped the Serbian SuperLiga scoring charts with 24 goals last season. Marko Arnautovic and Loizos Loizou provide further firepower from the bench. Red Star netted 100 goals in 37 league matches at a rate of 2.7 per game. Even with rotation expected given the 4-0 aggregate cushion, the squad depth ensures attacking threat in every period. Goals in each half at the Marakana is a strong proposition. |
Odds correct at time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams head into Red Star Belgrade vs Larne
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade completed a sixth consecutive domestic double last season. The Serbian champions claimed a ninth successive SuperLiga title with 27 wins from 37 matches, scoring 100 goals and conceding just 31. Aleksandar Katai led the division’s scoring charts with 24 goals and added one more in cup competition for 25 across all formats.
European pedigree runs deep at the Marakana. The 1991 European Cup winners competed in the Champions League play-off round in 2025/26 before switching to the Europa League. Stankovic’s side progressed through the league phase and into the knockout phase play-offs, where Lille ended their campaign. Those continental tests sharpened a squad already dominant domestically.
The first leg in Larne was an exhibition. Red Star controlled 69% of possession and fired 27 shots, 15 of which hit the target. Duarte opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 26 minutes. Kostov doubled the advantage on 55 minutes after Osman Bukari’s assist. Duarte completed his brace 12 minutes later with Mohamed Abu Fani providing the delivery. Cham smashed home the fourth five minutes from time, assisted by Katai. The tie is effectively over.
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Larne
Larne arrive in Belgrade as champions of Northern Ireland. Haveron’s side topped the NIFL Premiership with 83 points from 38 matches, finishing three clear of Coleraine. Twenty-five wins, eight draws and five defeats reflected a convincing title-winning campaign. Seventy-three goals scored and 26 conceded demonstrated strength at both ends in domestic competition.
The Champions League journey started with a first qualifying round victory over SP Tre Fiori. Larne dispatched the San Marinese side 3-1 on aggregate across two legs in early July. That success earned a meeting with Red Star Belgrade, a step up in class the east Antrim club proved unable to match.
The first-leg numbers painted a grim picture. One shot in 90 minutes. Zero efforts on target. Just 31% possession. The Premiership champions found themselves outclassed in every department at their own ground. Ferguson made a string of saves but could not prevent the four-goal defeat. Overturning a 4-0 deficit at the Marakana ranks among the most unlikely tasks in European qualifying history.
Red Star Belgrade team news
Ivan Gutesa should continue between the posts. The shot-stopper had a quiet first leg behind a dominant defence and should retain his place for the second leg.
Rade Krunic misses out with a knee injury. The former AC Milan midfielder is a significant absence in central midfield. Mohamed Abu Fani and Timi Max Elsnik should fill the engine room roles alongside one another. Adem Avdic is a long-term absentee with a cruciate ligament tear.
Four players are ineligible for this tie: Rodrigao, Vladimir Lucic, Mahmudu Bajo and Douglas Owusu. Despite those absences, Stankovic boasts remarkable squad depth. Arnautovic could earn a start after featuring from the bench in the first leg. Katai, who assisted the fourth goal at Inver Park, offers a direct threat from midfield or further forward.
With the tie settled, rotation is likely. Duarte may drop to the bench after his first-leg brace. Bukari, Loizou and Mirko Ivanic provide width in attacking positions. Kostov should keep his place after finding the net in Larne.
Larne team news
Ferguson will continue in goal. The Northern Irish goalkeeper made several important saves in the first leg to prevent a heavier defeat. He remains the Premiership champions’ most experienced European performer.
Sam McClelland and Matthew Ridley are expected to partner at centre-back. Tomas Cosgrove and Sean Graham offer cover at full-back. The defensive unit conceded four in the opening leg but faced 27 shots across the 90 minutes. The pressure was relentless.
Leroy Millar and Ronan Doherty should anchor central midfield. Dan Bent provides energy as a box-to-box option. Jordan McEneff offers creativity from deeper positions if Haveron looks for a different approach.
Matthew Lusty, Conor McKendry and Montel Gibson spearheaded the attack at Inver Park without creating a single clear opening. Paul O’Neill and Tiarnan O’Connor are alternatives if the manager opts to change personnel. Haveron faces a tactical dilemma: attack and risk a thrashing, or contain and accept the tie is over.
Head-to-Head
The first leg at Inver Park last week represents the only previous meeting between these two clubs. Red Star Belgrade dominated from start to finish, winning 4-0 through Duarte’s double, Kostov and Cham.
Red Star’s European pedigree stretches back decades. The Belgrade club lifted the European Cup in 1991, beating Marseille on penalties in the final. Regular participation in Champions League and Europa League qualifying underlines the gap in continental experience. The club competed in the Europa League league phase as recently as last season.
Larne’s European history is brief by comparison. Continental experience at this level remains scarce for the east Antrim club. Victories over SP Tre Fiori represented genuine progress for the east Antrim outfit. That step forward was brought crashing down by the sheer quality of Red Star.
Which side will come out on top at the Marakana?
Red Star Belgrade are overwhelming home favourites at 1/20 with bet365. Larne are 33/1 and the draw is 11/1. Those odds reflect a tie already decided on aggregate and a massive gulf in class between the two squads.
Red Star Belgrade to win to nil is the standout selection. Larne failed to register a single shot on target in the first leg despite playing at home with the crowd behind them. Travelling to the Marakana, one of European football’s most intimidating venues, will not improve matters. Veljkovic and Erakovic kept a comfortable clean sheet at Inver Park. The defence conceded only 31 goals in 37 SuperLiga matches last season. A repeat shutout is well within reach.
Red Star Belgrade to win both halves completes the pair. Stankovic’s men put one past Ferguson before half-time and three more after the break in the opening leg. Katai, Arnautovic, Duarte and Loizou give the hosts options across every attacking position. Red Star scored 100 league goals last season and averaged 2.7 per match domestically. Even with rotation, the quality off the bench ensures goals should arrive in each period against a side already conceding four in this tie.
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