It's February, but spring is already starting in Montenegro, at least football-wise - the 20th round matches of the Telekom 1st CFL are being played a day late (postponement due to rain), after a two-month break.
In the second half of the championship, 17 rounds will be played in 95 days. On average, it will be played almost every fifth day, until May 24, and it will be a real sprint - for the title, Europe, survival...
The first five rounds of the spring half-season are seen by many coaches as "the most important period of the season" - Sutjeska, for example, could go into a slight panic if they don't beat last-placed Zeta in Trešnjica today, even though they have an eight-point advantage at the top, but Dečić would too - if they don't beat Iskra in Danilovgrad, or Budućnost - if they don't beat Mornar pod Gorica, they could already see the title slipping away...
That's why the first league players announce that they won't count and with several important returns (the first is Fatos Bećiraj, who was reinforced by Dečić), if nothing else, at least interesting fights are expected...
LEADING FAVORITES AT THE START
Sutjeska hosts Zeta, Budućnost welcomes Mornar, Dečić hosts Jezera, but they will feel more like hosts because they will be playing on neutral ground, in Danilovgrad.
The leading teams are the clear favorites in the first spring round, but today's matches could determine whether there will really be a three-way race for the title.
"I expect that we enter the game motivated and ready and win three points. It won't be easy in the match with Zeta, nor in the next ones. Zeta knew how to take points from teams that are aiming for the title. We respect them, we will be careful, but according to our goals, we will strive for victory at the start of the championship", Sutjeska coach Milija Savović said in the announcement of the match.
His team has eight points more than Dečić, nine more than Budućnost and is in a great position waiting for the continuation. However, it is far from over, especially as the rivals have stepped up...
"Future had an extremely high-quality team in the first part of the season, so I don't believe they thought they needed too many reinforcements. They had problems with injured players and with form, but not with quality. We have seen that they have brought in some quality, experienced players to help bolster their roster. Dečić became the loudest, given that Bećiraj came. They are certainly stronger teams than in the first part and it will be uncertain in the sequel", believes Savović.
Sutjeska defeated Zeta both times this fall - 4:0 and 2:0. Golubovčani are last in the standings, with seven points less than second-to-last Jezera, and a tough fight awaits them.
"There is no need to mince words about Sutjeska. Janjić and Jovović are the drivers of that team, and it is only important that my players understand that they can stop them. If we manage not to lose, it will be a dose of self-confidence to continue the fight", says Zeta coach Dragoljub Đuretić.
The future awaits the Sailor - and he already has no right to a glitch...
"Expectations are the highest possible, we play at home, but also if we play anywhere else - we have no room for calculations. We know that we are in the deficit behind the first and second teams and from the first round we will play to win on any field", says coach Aleksandar Nedović.
The opponent at the start is dangerous, just like every first game in the championship.
"We have to show maximum respect to every team, including the Sailor. Mornar has made a good team, it is led by a man who worked for two and a half years in Budućnost, knows the habits of our players and that is certainly a plus. However, we are the hosts, we have a huge desire for the first triumph and to start as expected of us".
The future brought the experienced Branislav Janković and Ivan Novović, also experienced in terms of seniority and the number of clubs, and not so much in terms of the age of the 25-year-old Stefan Milošević.
"I think that, first of all, we brought the right guys, and that they are reinforcements - I have no doubt, which they will prove with their games in the Budućnosti jersey," added Nedović.
Sailor coach Andrija Delibašić was Mladen Milinković's assistant on the Bidućnosti bench until August last year.
"We will not defend ourselves. We know that Budućnost has five national team players in its ranks with the arrival of Janković and Milošević, but we worked very well, all the players are healthy and ready to try to cause a surprise. That would be a draw for us," says Delibašić.
IN PLJEVLJE ALREADY CRUCIAL - CAN THE MINER GET INVOLVED?
The fight for Europe will be particularly interesting, and the fourth-placed Petrovac is the favorite against Podgorica at the "DG Arena".
A very interesting match is being played in Pljevlja, where the seventh-placed Rudar is waiting for the fifth-placed Iskra, and if they win, they will come within three points.
"The first match is very important, if we win three points, we are back in the fight for Europe," says Rudada coach Rade Petrović.
Iskra intensified, and the attack will be led by Mihailo Perović.
"An unpleasant host awaits us and probably not very favorable conditions for the game, but we should not be interested in that. We will try to win, it would be a great announcement of the ambitions we have in the second half of the season", says Perović, former striker of Ujpest, Voždovac, Budućnosti, Zarja and Olimpija.
6 times in a row, Sutjeska beat Zeta in the championship, and celebrated in the last four visits to Trešnjica, conceding only one goal in 360 minutes - 3:1, 1:0, 2:0 and 4:1. Before that, there were three consecutive draws, and the people of Nikšić did not lose at the Zeta Stadium for almost six years - since August 2016.
468 minutes, it took Decic's players to finally hit the Jezera net in the First League, and they finally did it in the fall, when they won 2:0 in Tuzi. Before that, in five first league matches, four of which ended 0:0, they did not find a way to the Plavljan net.
Pairs of the 20th round
LAKE - DEČIĆ (13)
Referee: Miloš Bešović (Podgorica)
MINER - SPARK (13)
Referee: Miloš Savović (Podgorica)
PODGORICA - PETROVAC (15)
Referee: Predrag Radovanović (Podgorica)
ZETA - SUTJESKA (15)
Referee: Dalibor Vujisić (Podgorica)
THE FUTURE - SAILOR (17)
Referee: Radoje Pajović (Podgorica)
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