July 30, 31 & August 1,2021
Friday July 30, 2021
NK Lokomotiva Zagreb 3-2 NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac ( att : 182 )
Valentic ( 40 og ), Milicevic ( 53 ), Kacavenda ( 80 ); Veljaca ( 10 ), Bagadur ( 87 )
Lokomotiva continued their unbeaten start to the season, but fell behind after 10 minutes, Velijaca being given time to turn and place his shot into the corner. Lokomotiva equalised 5 minutes before half-time, Valentic diverting a low cross into his own net to prevent Aliyu from scoring from close range.
Milicevic put the home side ahead with a low 25 yard left footed drive which went in off the post before 18 year old Lukas Kacavenda appeared to put the game to bed with a deft chip over the keeper after running past two defenders afraid to put in a challenge for fear of conceding a penalty.
Dragovoljac breathed life into the contest three minutes from the end when Bagadur scrambled the ball home from 6 yards after Vulikic had somehow hit the bar from inches and Peric’s follow-up was blocked on the line. Dragovoljac appealed for a penalty for handball in added on time, but it would have been a very harsh decision had it been given.
Saturday July 31, 2021
NK Istra 1961 1-2 HNK Gorica ( att : 536 )
Bande ( 94 ); Lovric ( 19 ), Dieye ( 67 )
A second consecutive win for Gorica, whilst Istra’s only points have come from beating bottom side Hrvatski Dragovoljac.
After Sengalese striker Dieye had somehow spooned the ball over the bar from 6 yards in the fourth minute, Lovric put the visitors 1-0 up in the 18th minute with a trademark free-kick, this one from around 30 yards, that gave the Istra keeper no chance. Ex Olimpik Donetsk man Dieye did get the ball in the back of the net on two occasions, both times being left totally free for simple finishes from unselfish square balls across the face of the goal. However, the first attempt was chalked off for offside, but the second attempt stood.
Burkinabe forward Bande, on loan from Ajax, steered home a volley from four yards to score a consolation for Istra, and spoil the clean sheet bonus for the Gorica defenders.
Sunday August 1, 2021
HNK Hajduk Split 1-0 HNK Sibenik ( att : 5,163 )
Eduok ( 27 )
Hajduk laboured to their first win of the season, whilst Sibernik remained pointless. Nigerian winger Samuel Edouk was the match winner with a stylish left footed finish across goal into the roof of the net, and he also hit the bar from seven yards just before half-time. Hajduk should have been out of sight by half-time but were wasteful in front of goal. Sibenik grew in to the game as it progressed in the second half and manufactured a couple of half chance to equalise but Hajduk held on for the third points.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb 3-3 HNK Rijeka ( att : 1,503 )
Peric ( 8 ), Majer ( 33 ), Orsic ( 60 ); Abass ( 22 & 38 ), Drmic ( 43 )
The match of the season so far with Osijek scoring three fabulous goals. No need for aimless crosses into the box, or attempting incisive defensive splitting passes when you can simply whack it into the net from 20+ yards ! Dinamo keeper Livakovic must have broken a mirror, walked under a ladder and had a black cat walk across his path to have such a day………….
Dinamo took the lead in the 8th minute when Peric climbed over the Rijeka keeper to head home after some aerial ping-pong from a corner but Ghanian forward Issah Abass equalised with a thunderous strike from the edge of the area into the roof of the net.
To prove that Osijek didn’t have a monopoly on outstanding finishing, Dinamo’s Majer made it 2-1 with an outstanding strike, instinctive shooting from a loose with the outside of his left foot to curve away from the keeper in off the far post. However, Abass pounced on a poor pass and sent another fabulous shot from outside the area beyond the helpless Livakovic.
If that wasn’t enough, on loan Norwich forward Josip Drmic turned on a loose ball and fired an unstoppable left footed effort from just outside the area to give Rijeka a 3-2 half-time advantage.
Stung by being behind, Dinamo responded strongly a Gavronic saw a header cleared off the line after keeper Labrovic pushed a header in his path, and they drew level on the 58th minute when Orsic reacted to a poor punch from Labrovic, spun and turned to shot into the roof of the net.
Dinamo dominated the closing stages, but Labrovic made two decent saves to ensure Rijeka left with a point, which was the least they deserved for the outstanding goals scored.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0l7iN_pZmw
NSK Osijek 0-0 NK Slaven Belupo ( att : 1,016 )
These diaries covered the meeting between these two sides when they met in February earlier this year, but the heavy fog then made it difficult to see what was happening on the pitch. This time the visibility was perfect, but given the dire fare served perhaps many would have preferred for the fog to have returned !
Osijek surprising left Mierez, Kleinheisler, Bohar and Pilj on the bench although they were all called into service in the last third of the game. Osijek did gain the ascendancy in the closing stages, but they were unable to make the breakthrough, and had a goal disallowed for offside. Consequently, Osijek dropped their first points of the season, whilst Slaven remained unbeaten away from home after having played Dinamo and Osijek.
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