The 5th round of the Croatian First League took place from August 24-26, 2018.
Another weekend of Croatian football has come to an end, which again saw what should be Croatia’s strongest clubs struggle against the lowest. Exciting news from the weekend is that Inter Zaprešić debuted their brand new pitch, though it didn’t help either team win.
Here’s a look at what went down in the 5th round of the Croatian First League.
Osijek v. Slaven Belupo (1:1)
Osijek and Slaven Belupo kicked off the first game of the 5th round at City Garden Stadium on August 24, 2018, in front of 2,459 spectators.
A game that went scoreless at the end of the first half, Osijek was first to lead with a goal by Bočkaj in the 72nd minute, which was followed by a goal by Gordana in the 87th to equalize. The game ended 1:1.
Osijek is currently in third place with 10 points, while Belupo is in seventh with 3.
Gorica v. Rudeš (2:0)
Gorica and Rudeš played the second game of the 5th round on August 25, 2018, in Gorica.
Gorica led quickly with a goal in the 11th minute by Marina, which they held until the end of the first half. Gorica added to their lead in the 69th minute with a goal by Zwolinski, which they maintained until the final whistle. The game ended 2:0.
Gorica is currently in 5th place with 7 points, while Rudeš is in the last place with 10 points.
Dinamo v. Lokomotiva (1:0)
The Croatian champions took on Lokomotiva on August 25, 2018, at Maksimir.
The first half ended without goals, though the first goal of the game came quickly in the second half after Dinamo was awarded a penalty in the 48th minute. Petković brought Dinamo in the lead 1:0, which is how the game ended.
Dinamo is currently in first place with 13 points, while Lokomotiva is in is in 4th with 10.
Inter Zaprešić v. Hajduk (2:2)
Inter and Hajduk met on August 26, 2018, for their 5th round match on the new pitch at the Zaprešić stadium.
Inter took the lead early on with a goal by Andrić in the 15th minute, which remained until the end of the first half. Hajduk was quick to equalize in the 49th minute with a goal by Palaversa, though Inter didn’t let them stay equal for long with a goal by Vukčević in the 57th.
Hajduk was awarded a penalty in the 75th minute, which Ivanovski scored for 2:2, the final score of the game.
Inter is currently in 6th place with 4 points, while Hajduk is in 8th with 3.
Rijeka v. Istria (3:3)
Rijeka and Istria met for the most exciting and final game of the 5th round, which was played at Rujevica on August 27, 2018, in front of just over 4,000 fans.
Istria took the lead first with a goal by Mierez in the 3rd minute, which was followed by a goal by Heber for Rijeka in the 4th. Mierez then scored again for Istria in the 17th for 1:2, and Rijeka came back in the 29th with another goal by Heber for 2:2.
Equalized at the half, Rijeka took the lead in the 79th minute with a hat trick for Heber, though Istria’s Obeng squeezed out a goal two minutes later in the 81st for 3:3, the final score of the game.
Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 11 points, while Istria is in 9th with 2.
