September 10, 11 & 12, 2021
Friday September 10, 2021
HNK Gorica 1-1 NK Hrvatski
Dragovoljac ( att : 412 )
Babec ( 64
); Strkalj ( 74 )
Saturday September 11, 2021
HNK Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 HNK Sibenik (
att : 1,194 )
Lauritsen ( 68 ), Ivanusec ( 78 )
HNK Rijeka 2-1 NK Slaven
Belupo ( att : 2,237 )
Drmic ( 78 & 85 ); Hadzic ( 64 )
Sunday September 12, 2021
NK Istra 1961 1-3 HNK Hajduk Split (
att : 1,761 )
Beljo ( 88 ); Livaja ( 52p, 58p & 74 )
NK Lokomotiva Zagreb 1-1 HNK NSK
Osijek ( att : 491 )
Dabro ( 70 ); Topcagic ( 92 )
The top three in the league consolidated their
positions after wins for Dinamo, Rijeka and Hajduk, but Osijek lost ground
after a lucky draw at Lokomotiva.
Dinamo head
the table on goal difference after a fairly routine victory over Sibenik.
Dinamo
dominated first half but failed to take a number of chances and with Sibenik
looking lively on the break, it made for an entertaining spectacle. Dinamo eventually
made the breakthrough in the 68th minute, thanks to Lauritsen’s deft
close range header after a bout of head tennis from a corner. The win was
wrapped up 12 minutes from end, when some slight of foot by Petkovic enabled
him to skin the full-back and cross for Ivanuesc to finish with outside of his
foot.
Hajduk lie
second in the table, level on points with Dinamo but having scored more goals
than Rijeka. Aston Villa’s two Argentinian players, Buendia and Martinez, trained
with Hajduk during the week after their visit to Brazil as part of their 10 day
stay in an Amber list country to avoid having to quarantine in a Government hotel
in the UK with no training facilities. It was apparently an arrangement
facilitated by Villa keeper Lovre Kalinic, who is on loan with Hajduk.
Both sides appear to be pleased with the arrangement,
and perhaps this inspired Hajduk to their 3-1 win at Istra.
After a competitive first half, much to the delight
of their sizeable travelling support, Hajduk took a fortunate lead in the 52th minute
after a dubious penalty decision. Sahiti was already diving on the way to the
floor, but he made sure he made contact with the defender, who couldn’t really do
anything to get out of the way. If anything, it was a foul on the defender, but
as there was “contact” VAR did not overturn the awful decision.
There was no debate about Hajduk’s second penalty
five minutes though when Livaja was blatantly tripped by Galilea after sending
a dummy and skipping past him. Both penalties were easily converted by Livaja “Jorginho”
style after a hop in the air before striking the ball.
Midfielder Livaja completed his hat-trick 16 minutes
from time after being released by perfect pass by Krovinovic and confidently
strode forward to finish.
Istra scored a consolation goal just before the end.
Elez should have dealt with a cross from left but he completely missed his kick
and Beljo headed in at the back post. The goal was awarded after a VAR review as
the ball had clearly crossed the line before Kalinic was able to claw away.
Hajduk fans have compared themselves with “Only Fools
And Horses”, as in “this time next year Ratko, we’ll be Champions !”. Having
not won the league since 2004/05 perhaps this will be their year !
Rijeka are the third side on 16 points but like Dinamo have
played a game less than Hajduk. After an even first half against Slaven
Belupo, Rijeka took control in second half but squandered several good
chances. Slaven took the lead in 64th minute against run of play, a neat
short pass by Brkovic exposed a huge hole in the middle of Rijeka’s defence for
Hadzic to score.
Rijeka laid then laid siege on the Slaven goal and
contrived to miss more chances. Eventually though the dam broke, and Drmic was left
unmarked at back post after flicked on header from a corner for the equalizer.
The on-loan Norwich striker then clinched the win with 5 minutes left on the clock,
with a header from 6 yards after Obregon had nodded a free-kick across the goal.
Since winning at Dinamo on the first day
of the season, Slaven have taken just two points from their next 7 matches.
Osijek ended a run of two defeats without scoring but were
extremely fortunate to leave Lokomotiva with a point. Osijek had looked
the better side in the first half, and Mierez should have given then the lead
after pouncing on a poor back pass but Nevistic made a good block.
Lokomotiva went into the lead early in the second half,
Dabro acrobatically scoring after a long throw was headed on by an Osijek
defender. Matters got worse for the visitors when 15 minutes from time Ivan Fiolic
needless tripped an advancing Lokomotiva player for a second yellow card.
Against the odds, Osijek avoided third consecutive loss when Mihret Topcagic, familiar
to readers of these diaries from his time at Lithuanian side FK Sudova came off
the bench to clinically finish from 12 yards in added on time.
Dragovoljac provided further evidence of
acclimatization of this level by managing to get a draw at Gorica, their second
game in a row unbeaten. Gorica will be kicking themselves for failing to
win the match though and had enough chances to have comfortably won.
Dutch centre-back Steenvorden headed against bar from Kristijan
Lovric corner in the first half and the home side thought they had finally made
the breakthrough in the 54th minute when Stojanovski tapped in after
good work on the left by Lovric. However, after a lengthy VAR review the goal
was disallowed for offside.
Gorica were then awarded a penalty after foul on Keita,
but astonishingly, dead-ball specialist Lovric’s spot kick produced an
exceptional save from Drago keeper Subaric. The visitors were only spared for just
over a minute though as Lovric delivered superb low cross for Babic to slide in
and finish well.
Any expectations that Dragovoljac would roll-over were
dispelled when they equalized in the 74th minutes, Franic’s quality
cross from the left reached Strkalj at the far post for a side-footed finish by
Strkalj.
Stunned by being pegged back, Govric pilled on the
pressure but were again denied by VAR. With 10 minutes to play, Lovric’s
curling cross from the left gave Dieye a simple close range range, but again it
was ruled off for offside. Despite two individual efforts from Lovric that went
close, Drago held on for a point.
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