Latković strikes on 89: Armenia 2-3 Montenegro in Yerevan

Highlights

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One minute from time, Armenia were level in Yerevan. Then Aleksa Latković, twenty minutes after stepping off the bench, buried the 89th-minute winner and Montenegro left the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium with a 2-3 UEFA Nations League win. Five goals, a 1-2 halftime lead for the visitors, and the decisive blow landed last.

Montenegro did the early pressing. Nikola Krstović shot twice inside the opening six minutes, both off target, and Milutin Osmajić forced a save on 28. Erik Piloyan put the visitors in front on 20 minutes, 0-1. Armenia answered on 34: Artur Serobyan converted the game's clearest opening, a 0.455 xG chance served by Ognjen Čančarević, for 1-1. The equaliser lasted four minutes. On 38, Krstović finished Andrej Đurić's assist to send Montenegro in 1-2 at the break.

Armenia owned the second half with 55% of the ball and levelled on 65, Eduard Spertsyan beating Balša Popović from a 0.044 xG position after Georgiy Harutyunyan's assist — his earlier effort on 59 had been blocked. Artem Bandikyan drew a save on 67 and substitute Narek Hovhannisyan rattled the post on 70. The hosts' third goal never arrived; Latković took his 0.297 xG chance instead. Montenegro outshot Armenia 13-10.

Latković's evening was short and surgical: on for Milan Roganović in the 69th, one goal, one lead that held. Krstović needed five attempts to score — two early misses, the 38th-minute strike, then a block and a save. Ten substitutions in all; Montenegro's wave of Marko Vešović on 54, Risto Radunović and Vasilije Adžić on 68, Latković on 69 kept fresh legs coming. Stevan Jovetić, introduced on 79, missed a 0.156 xG chance on 86 before Latković settled it.

Armenia had the ball. Montenegro had the moments. Only one of those shows up on the scoreboard.