August 7 & 8, 2021
Saturday August 7, 2021
HNK Gorica 1-3 HNK Hajduk Split ( att : 1,576 )
Lovric ( 56 ); Mlakar ( 31 ), Vukovic ( 45 ), Livaja ( 87 )
NK Slaven Belupo 1-1 HNK Sibenik ( att : 577 )
Monjac ( 87 ); Jakolis ( 37 )
Sunday August 8, 2021
NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac 1-2 NSK Osijek ( att : 120 )
Majstorovic ( 55 pen ); Mance ( 13 ), Nejasmic ( 75 ),
Just the three matches this weekend, with the games for Dinamo Zagreb and Rijeka being postponed to allow them time to prepare for their European matches this week. Interestingly though, Osijek fulfilled their league fixture despite facing CSKA Sofia in the Europa Conference on Thursday, needing to overturn a 2-4 deficit.
After their shocking exit from the Europa Conference with a 1-4 loss in Kazakhstan to Tobol Kostanay, Hadjuk are slowly getting their season back on track with a second consecutive league win. Mlakar gave the large travelling contingent of supporters something to cheer about in the 31st minute, the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion forward calmly finished off the inside of the post after receiving an incisive pass from Livaja. Both sides then hit the wordwork with headers, Livaja for Hajduk and Steenvordern for Gorica, before Hadjuk doubled their lead on the stroke of half when Vukovic fired home off the underside of the bar after a poor clearance from Musa.
Gorica pulled a goal back, inevitably Lovric marked his 100th appearance for the club by scoring, making half a yard to beat his marker and then beating keeper Posavec at his near post with a left-footed shot. Hadjuk wobbled for a period, but the outstanding Livaja settled their nerves, first sending a curling effort against the post, before running onto a give and go to lash a shot across the keeper for the goal his display deserved.
Sibenik, who have played all four of their matches away from home so far, picked up their first point of the season with a draw in Koprivnica, and they arguably deserved more against a disappointing Slaven side. Marin Jakolis, who has previously played in Belgium for Moeskroen and Roeselare, gave the visitors the lead, heading home from 6 yards after being left free to run onto a cross, and perhaps they should have led by more at half-time.
Slaven improved in the final quarter thought as they sought to salvage the game, Lulic forced a good save from keeper Rogic, Monjac shot just wide, Rogic saved again, this time from Brkovic but finally Krstanovic’s reverse pass enabled Monjac to beat the offside trap to smash home the equaliser.
Osijek moved to the top of the table and remained unbeaten, but they laboured to overcome bottom side Dragovoljac in front of a sparse crowd in Zagreb. Antonio Mance evaded his marker to head home Bockaj’s corner in the 13th minute but Osijek had a shock early in the second half when Petkovic burst through and was brought down as he tried to go around Osijek keeper Ivusic. Majstorovic sent Ivusic the wrong way from the spot. Osijek’s blushes were spared when Nejasmic got on the end of a free-kick just beyond the far post to head home from close range.
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