The fifteenth round of the Croatian First League was held from Friday, November 3, 2017, to Sunday, November 5, 2017.
Round fifteen of the Croatian First League was exciting in more ways than one - and this doesn't necessarily mean the right kind of exciting, especially if you’re fans of Osijek, Hajduk, or Rijeka.
What we do see improving each week, however, are the clubs that were never threatening to the top four before, and if Inter Zaprešić and Lokomotiva keep up this momentum, we could see them fighting for a spot in the top three.
Here is our round 15 recap, from November 3 to 5, 2017.
Inter Zaprešić v. Osijek (3:1)
Inter and Osijek kicked off the 15th round of the Croatian First League in Zaprešić on Friday, November 3, 2017.
Inter first took the lead in the 31st minute with a goal by Dalić and another by Mazalović (penalty) in the two minutes of extra time in the first half. The game was 2:0 for Inter.
The second half saw yet another by Inter in the 77th minute after Rak found the back of the net, and at this point, the game was a 3:0 shutout for the home team.
Osijek was able to redeem themselves of total embarrassment after Boban scored in the 80th minute for 3:1.
Osijek remains in second place with 27 points while Inter is in fifth place with 21 points.
Cibalia v. Istra 1961 (1:4)
Cibalia and Istra met in Vinkovci for the second match of the Croatian First League on Saturday, November 4, 2017.
Istra took everyone by surprise, coming out stronger than ever with three goals in the first 25 minutes of the first half. Ofosu kicked off the streak with a goal in the 5th minute, followed by Gotal who scored in the 12th minute and Kitanovski who scored in the 23rd.
With a score of 0:3 for the away team at the half, Istra was able to increase their lead yet again after Gotal scored a penalty in the 52nd minute. Cibalia was able to secure one goal in the 55th minute for a final score of 1:4.
Cibalia is currently in 9th place with 13 points while Istra is currently in 8th place with 13.
Hajduk v. Rudeš (2:3)
Hajduk and Rudeš met for the third match of the Croatian First League on Saturday, November 4, 2017, in Split.
It should have been a clear win for Hajduk at Poljud on Saturday, but the night quickly turned into anything but.
After goals by Hajduk’s Lopez and Ohandza in the 15th and 21st minutes, Hajduk fans at Poljud were sitting comfortably with 2:0 at the half.
The second half, however, saw Rudeš come back to equalize after goals by Entrena and Budimir in the 61st and 68th minute.
The real shocker and the game-winner came in the final minutes of the match when Rudeš' Entrena scored again for 2:3. You can read our full match report here.
Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 25 points while Rudeš remains in the last place with 11 points.
Lokomotiva v. RIjeka (1:0)
Lokomotiva and Rijeka met at Kranjčevićeva on Sunday, November 5, 2017.
Rijeka has been on a bit of a downward spiral lately, and their inability to score was once again highlighted in the match against Lokomotiva.
The Zagreb club took the lead early on, and in the 16th minute, they were already up 1:0 with a goal by Capan. While Rijeka was aggressive and had opportunities, none were enough to equalize. The game ended 1:0 for Lokomotiva and gave Rijeka their fourth defeat in a row.
Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 21 points while Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 25 points.
Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo Zagreb (0:1)
Slaven Belupo and Dinamo met for the final match of the Croatian First League on Sunday, November 5, 2017, in Koprivnica.
While many of us assumed the game would be a blowout for Dinamo, Belupo held their own and played a 0:0 game until the final minutes.
Dinamo’s Gojak scored in the 89th minute for 0:1.
Dinamo is currently in first place with 37 points while Belupo is in seventh place with 14 points.
