Ghanaian winger Osman Bukari marked his return to Champions League football with an impressive attacking display, providing an assist as Red Star Belgrade secured a comfortable victory over Larne in the qualifying rounds.
The former Black Stars attacker was introduced to add more pace and creativity on the right flank and wasted little time making his presence felt.
Within minutes of entering the game, Bukari beat his marker with a brilliant piece of skill before delivering a perfectly weighted low cross into the box, allowing Vasilije Kostov to finish emphatically and double Red Star’s advantage.
The Serbian champions had earlier taken the lead through Bruno Duarte, who converted from the penalty spot after a controversial decision awarded Red Star a spot-kick.
Bukari’s contribution effectively shifted the momentum of the match, with Red Star taking complete control of proceedings. Duarte later added his second goal of the night with a composed finish into the bottom corner, before substitute Muhammed Cham completed the rout with a spectacular strike into the top-right corner.
Larne, despite arriving in strong form, struggled to cope with Red Star’s attacking quality and now face a difficult task in the return leg.
For Bukari, the performance represents a positive return to Europe’s premier club competition after rejoining Red Star Belgrade, where he previously established himself as a key attacking figure.
The Ghanaian winger will now look to build on this impressive start as Red Star prepare for their upcoming Serbian Super Liga fixture against Vojvodina on July 26.
