partizan pegged back in baku published: tuesday 29 july 2008, 23.30cet fc inter bakı 1-1 fk partizan serbia's title-holders remain the favourites to progress despite shipping a late goal to the hosts in azerbaijan.
by erkin ibragimov from baku
fk partizan remain favourites to progress from their uefa champions league second qualifying round tie against fc inter bakı despite seeing a third-minute away goal cancelled out at the end of an even first leg in the azeri capital.
dominated the first half was dominated by the visitors from serbia, who struck from one of their first attacks when the lively lamine diarra whipped over a cross which miloš bogunović headed in. it was a different story after the break, however, as inter bakı shed their nerves and created several chances, one of which was converted by bulgarian petar zlatinov with eight minutes to go – leaving the tie balanced ahead of next wednesday's decider in belgrade.
pace injected having scored so early, partizan wasted a number of opportunities to put the contest out of reach of the champions of azerbaijan. inter bakı coach valentyn khodukin responded by taking off former fc dynamo kyiv star valentin belkevich, who had struggled to find his rhythm, and by injecting pace with the introduction of 20-year-old javid huseynov and 19-year-old shahriyar rahimov.
late drama soon the chances were flowing in front of mladen božović's goal, with huseynov squandering three of them before zlatinov struck with the help of a deflection. partizan were rattled and would have been on the end of a defeat had božović not reacted well to deny elvin mammadov. zlatinov then drilled the final opportunity straight at the goalkeeper when well-placed.
