March 20, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 26th round was played from March 17 to 19. This round saw Osijek take only one point against Šibenik, while Hajduk took 3 points at Poljud, and Dinamo celebrated against Rijeka at Maksimir. It was an emotional 26th round as Osijek captain Mile Škorić and Dinamo captain Arjan Ademi said goodbye to the Croatian league and will continue their careers in China.
Varaždin - Gorica (2-1)
Varaždin and Gorica opened the 26th round on Friday, March 17, in Varaždin in front of 1585 fans.
After a scoreless first half, Varaždin took the lead in the 53rd minute when Brodić scored for 1-0. Mitrović equalized in the 74th minute for 1-1. Brodić found the net again in the 87th minute for the final 2-1. Varaždin had 56% possession, eight total attempts, and three on target, while Gorica had 12 total attempts and five on target.
Varaždin is in 4th place with 36 points, while Gorica is in last place with 16. Varaždin plays Lokomotiva next and Gorica meets Dinamo.
Osijek - Šibenik (0-0)
Osijek and Šibenik met on Saturday, March 18, at City Garden Stadium in front of 2321 fans.
The match went without goals though the result could have ended differently had Caktaš not missed a penalty in the 71st minute. Osijek held 60% possession with 17 total attempts. Long-time Osijek captain Mile Škorić played his last game and will continue his career in China. Škorić played 333 games for Osijek since 2013.
Osijek is in 3rd place with 37 points, while Šibenik is in 9th with 24. Osijek meets Rijeka next, and Šibenik meets Hajduk.
Hajduk - Slaven Belupo (1-0)
Hajduk and Belupo met on Saturday, March 18, at Poljud Stadium in front of 14,005 fans.
The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Mikanović nailed the back of the net from outside the box for the Hajduk win. Hajduk held 63% possession with nine attempts, 3 of which were on target.
Hajduk remains in 2nd place with 50 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 33. Hajduk meets Šibenik in the next round, and Belupo plays Istra 1961.
Istra 1961 - Lokomotiva (0-0)
Istra and Lokomotiva met on Sunday, March 19, in Pula in front of 1419 fans.
This match ended without goals. Istra had 46% possession compared to Lokomotiva's 54%. Istra had seven total attempts to Lokomotiva's 13.
Istra is in 5th place with 35 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th with 32. Istra plays Belupo next, and Lokomotiva meets Varaždin.
Dinamo - Rijeka (1-0)
Dinamo and Rijeka closed the 26th round on Sunday, March 19, at Maksimir Stadium.
The first half went without goals, but Ristovski found the back of the net in the 67th minute for 1-0. Dinamo had 58% possession and 13 total attempts, while Rijeka had 12. This was Dinamo captain Arijan Ademi's last match after 13 years with the club. He thus became Dinamo's most trophy-winning player in history, with 21 trophies total - 11 Croatian championship titles, six Cups, and four Super Cups. He played 373 games for the club, with 42 goals and 31 assists
Dinamo is in first place with 59 points, while Rijeka is in 6th with 34. Dinamo meets Gorica next, and Rijeka plays Osijek.
The SuperSport HNL will resume on March 31st as we take an international break to kick off the European qualifiers for EURO 2024. Croatia meets Wales this weekend at Poljud and is training in Split all week.
You can check out the HNL table HERE.
To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
