Dejan Stanković's team delighted over 40,000 fans at the "Rajko Mitić" stadium in the European premiere.
The fans of the Serbian champion did not have much time to sit during Wednesday's game.
Whenever they thought that the pace of the game had died down, the ball would reach Osman Bukari.
Everyone in the stands on Wednesday night saw one of their idols in the footballer from Ghana.
The older ones can't agree whether the former Gent footballer reminds more of Dragisa Binić or Dejan Savićević, and the younger ones shouted from the stands for the first time since 2018: "Man, this one is faster than Radonjić."
The incredible fact is that when Bukari scored the first goal, he ran at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour.
This goal reminded some of Boro Cvetković's goal against Real Madrid in 1987.
It is widely known how difficult it is for a Red Star footballer to be accepted by the fans, especially to the extent that everyone chants his last name. The fact that Bukari managed to do it after only five games in the red and white jersey speaks volumes.
The diminutive winger bullied not only the defenders, but the entire starting line-up of the Armenian champion. He was simply elusive. While the first goal is mastery in itself, and the second routine, the third goal was a clear indication of how every possible force was on Bukari's side on Wednesday night.
Of course, the head coach of Crvena zvezda, Dejan Stanković, could not pass without several questions concerning the footballer from Ghana.
The former coach who played for teams such as Inter and Lazio was taken aback when asked by a journalist if he could remember any football player he played with, if he was as fast as Bukari. After a few moments of thought, the Serbian strategist compared him to Claudia Lopez, the Argentine who played with him in Lazio. However, he even said his name a little timidly and uncertainly.
"I don't know if maybe Claudio Lopez was that fast, but I don't think so. I don't believe it."
The temperamental expert remained somewhat distant from the excessive amount of praise for Osman Bukari and warned that this is only the beginning. He described him with two attributes that nowadays mostly adorn the best ones, necessary for every team that plays good European football.
"Concrete and direct. The match always kicks out one player as Bukari. I hope that he will not be satisfied with what he has shown, we should always strive for better and move forward" - Stanković spoke cautiously at the conference.
The coach of Crvena zvezda was asked, as someone who has experience, how he would react in the place of stopper Pjunik, who was "left in the dust" by Bukari. He was also aware that there is no adequate remedy for such a thing.
"Thank God I did not have such a situation. I don't know how I would stop him, I would probably grab him with both hands and knock him down"- the head of the Serbian champion said with a laugh.
As a reminder, Bukari joined the ranks of the Serbian champions from Gent this summer for 2million euros, and he spent the last six months before arriving at Maracana on loan at Nantes, with whom he managed to win the French Cup.
It is certain that Red Star will meet Maccabi from Haifa in the playoffs for the Champions League, which convincingly defeated Apollon (4:0).
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