Mohammed Abu Fani took his first competitive step onto the European stage for Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, starting in central midfield as the Serbian champions led Larne 1-0 shortly into the second half of their Champions League second qualifying round first leg at Inver Park.
The only goal, and the one Red Star carried into the interval, came from the penalty spot. In the 26th minute the referee stopped play to check an incident on the pitchside monitor and pointed to the spot; Bruno Duarte stepped up and side-footed his effort low into the bottom corner, sending the visitors in front.
As of the 47th minute — the point this report captures — Red Star's lead remained intact, with the tie still live for Larne on home soil and the second half only just under way.
For Abu Fani, this was his first taste of continental football in Red Star colours, coming five days after he played every minute of the club's 5-0 SuperLiga-opening rout of Mačva Šabac — his first appearance since arriving from Ferencváros in June on a deal Serbian outlets valued at around €1m over three years.
The Israel international has quickly become a fixture in Dejan Stanković's midfield plans. After the Mačva game, the head coach said Abu Fani, still working back to full sharpness, had his "blessing" to lose the ball occasionally given the calm and control he brings to Red Star's build-up play.
Larne arrived at this stage having never before reached a Champions League second qualifying round tie in the club's history. The Northern Irish side eliminated San Marino's Tre Fiori in the first round, winning 1-0 away on 7 July and 2-1 at home a week later, to earn Tuesday's visit from one of European football's most decorated clubs.
Red Star, chasing a place in the competition's league phase for the third time in four seasons, arrive as clear favourites, having retained the Serbian SuperLiga title last season by a ten-point margin. Austria forward Marko Arnautović also featured for the visitors, back in club colours days after his country's run at the 2026 World Cup.
The tie moves to Belgrade for the second leg next week, with Red Star defending a 1-0 lead at the Rajko Mitić Stadium — without the cushion of an away-goals rule UEFA scrapped in 2021, meaning a single Larne goal in the return fixture would level the tie again.
