Novi Pazar are in a rut. Recent results show a side struggling for traction — a loss to Red Star Belgrade, a draw, another defeat. They kept a clean sheet in only one of their last three league games, and against the big boys they get carved open. That 2-0 loss to Zvezda, with goals either side of half-time, tells you everything: they compete for spells, then get picked off. At home they'll have the crowd at the City Stadium, but that only counts if you can defend your own box. Right now, they can't.

Vojvodina, meanwhile, are quietly building something. They took care of Macva Sabac in early August, and their Conference League run — including that tie against Ajax — shows a side comfortable on the ball and not afraid of a challenge. They're the second force in Serbian football, a club with European pedigree and a squad that knows how to manage a game. Away from home, they're solid, organised, and dangerous on the break. Momentum is with them. Novi Pazar are chasing shadows.