Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Croatian Cup Quarterfinals: Osijek Wins on Penalties, Rijeka Knocks Out Dinamo for Semis

December 1, 2021 - The Croatian Cup quarterfinals came to an end on Wednesday as Osijek topped Slaven Belupo on penalties and Rijeka knocked out Dinamo 3:1 at Maksimir to secure their spots in the semifinals. 

Osijek became the third semifinalist of this season's Croatian Cup on Wednesday, beating Slaven Belupo 5:4 on penalties after no goals were scored in 120 minutes at City Garden Stadium. 

Although there were no goals, this quarterfinal match was full of events, as both teams missed a penalty during regulation time and both finished the match with 10 players in extra time. 

In the 94th minute, Žaper received a direct red card, and in the 108th minute, Kvržić was booked for his second yellow card. 

During the penalty shootout, Belupo was first to gain the advantage after Osijek captain Škorić shook the crossbar, but Goda missed immediately after. In the sixth round, Zirdum hit the crossbar, and Daku was precise for Osijek to push them into the top four.

Osijek thus joined Gorica and Hajduk, which reached the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Gorica beat Istra 1961 on penalties, and Hajduk defeated Lokomotiva 6-3 in Zagreb. 

Dinamo and Rijeka met in the last quarterfinal match at Maksimir on Wednesday. 

Obregon scored Rijeka's first goal in the 27th minute for the 0:1 lead. Josip Drmić scored three minutes later to make it 0:2 for Rijeka at the half. 

Dinamo couldn't score until the 73rd minute when Marko Tolić gave the home team hope for 1:2. 

Dinamo could not equalize even in the nearly 8 minutes of stoppage time added by the referee, and after putting in a last-minute effort, it was Rijeka to secure the last Croatian Cup semifinal spot with a goal in the 98th minute for 1:3. 

Rijeka, Gorica, Osijek, and Hajduk will fight in the Croatian Cup semifinals in the spring of 2022.

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Tuesday, 30 November 2021

Croatian Cup Quarterfinals: Gorica Wins on Penalties, Hajduk Tops Lokomotiva 6:3 for Semis!

November 30, 2021 - The first day of the Croatian Cup quarterfinals came to a close, with Gorica and Hajduk securing their spot in the semifinals!

Gorica was the first to qualify for the Croatian Cup semifinals, defeating Istria 1961 at home on penalties, 6-4 (2-2, 2-2). 

By the 96th minute, Istra had the semifinal match in their hands. With two goals, Beljo had Istra up 2-1, but in the last seconds, Kristijan Lovrić scored, and in the penalty shootout, the hero was Gorica goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, who stopped two shots.

Assisted by Serderov, Beljo put Istra in the lead in the 10th minute. Dieye equalized in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for 1-1 at the half. 

Dieye tried increased Gorica's lead in the 68th minute though his goal was called offside thanks to VAR. Beljo put Istra back in the lead for 1-2 in the 83rd minute. 

A last-minute equalizer came for Gorica when hero Lovrić scored in the 6th minute of stoppage time to send the match to extra time. 

VAR canceled another Gorica goal in the 98th minute, and the match ultimately finished on penalties. Iličić and Silva were stopped by the Gorica keeper, giving Gorica the penalty shootout victory and semifinal spot. 

In the wild second quarterfinal match, Hajduk topped Lokomotiva 6-3 in Zagreb. 

Krovinović gave Hajduk the early lead with a goal in the 7th minute for 0-1. A penalty was awarded to Lokomotiva which Pivarić nailed in the 3rd minute of stoppage time for 1-1 at the half. 

The second half was one to remember. Atanasov nailed the far post from the goal line in the 51st minute for 1-2, which Ljubičić increased to 1-3 two minutes later. Livaja made it 1-4 for Hajduk in the 57th!

Dabro gave Lokomotiva some hope in the 59th minute with a goal for 2-4, but Atanasov increased Hajduk's lead to 2-5 with a rocket from 30 meters out for 2-5. Hajduk's goal in the 71st minute was called offside by VAR, but Sahiti's goal in the 90th minute made it 6-2 for the Split club. 

An own goal by Elez gave Lokomotiva their third goal of the match in the 4th minute of stoppage time for the final 3-6, and Hajduk has comfortably booked their spot in the semifinal. 

Osijek and Slaven Belupo will meet Wednesday at 4 pm, and Dinamo and Rijeka at 6:30 pm.

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Friday, 29 October 2021

Croatian Cup Quarterfinal Draw Announced, Matches Begin December 1

October 29, 2021 - The Croatian Cup quarterfinal draw was held today, revealing some exciting meetings on December 1. 

When Rijeka and Oriolik play the remaining round of 16 match next month, we will know the final list of Croatian Cup quarterfinalists. However, the matchups have been revealed today in a draw for the quarterfinal games on December 1, reports Gol.hr.

The biggest news is that Dinamo has been drawn against Oriolik / Rijeka. Therefore, Dinamo will play at home, most likely against Rijeka, which will be a real treat after the intense championship matches between these two clubs this season.

Twice this season, Dinamo and Rijeka played 3:3, which makes this Cup meeting even more special. But, of course, Dinamo and Rijeka will meet only if Oriolik does not pull an upset. 

Dinamo and Hajduk also play at Maksimir that weekend in the Croatian championship, meaning that the HNL match could easily be postponed for some time in the spring.

Hajduk and Lokomotiva will meet once again in Zagreb. The match is scheduled for December 1, and it will be the 19th consecutive Cup match that Hajduk will play against Lokomotiva away.

In addition to the 2018 final match that was played in Vinkovci, this means that Hajduk did not play a total of 20 Cup games at Poljud stadium.

Hajduk played its last home game in the Cup five and a half years ago, or in March 2016 in the semifinal match against Dinamo.

It should also be said that Hajduk could not even host until the round of 16 due to the rules because the hosts are always lower-ranked clubs. As for the quarterfinal draw, this is now the seventh time in a row that it has gone to the away team. 

Quarterfinal matches (December 1):

Dinamo - Oriolik/Rijeka

Lokomotiva – Hajduk

Osijek - Slaven Belupo

Gorica - Istra 1961

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Wednesday, 27 October 2021

Dinamo, Gorica, Istra 1961, Lokomotiva Secure Croatian Cup Quarterfinals

October 27, 2021 - Dinamo, Gorica, Istra 1961, and Lokomotiva are the latest Croatian clubs to advance to the Croatian Cup quarterfinals. 

Dinamo secured a spot in the Croatian Cup quarterfinals. After a lot of trouble, the Blues defeated the leading team of the 2nd HNL BSK 3:2 away in Bijelo Brdo.

The Zagreb club took a quick lead in the second minute of the match thanks to Amir Gojak. However, BSK's Mory Gbane equalized in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, Josip Čikvar scored for 2:1 BSK after a mistake by Dinamo goalkeeper Vladimir Zagorec.

However, Dinamo equalized in the 39th minute thanks to Komnen Andrić, and Mislav Oršić brought Dinamo the victory in the 71st minute. 

Gorica also advanced to the Croatian Cup quarterfinals after beating Mladost Ždralovi 2:0 in the round of 16.

Vlatko Stojanovski scored for Gorica in the 41st minute and Martin Šroler in the 60th for the final 2:0. 

Istria 1961 also reached the quarterfinals after beating Rudar 3:2 in the round of 16 in Labin.

It was the 'Istrian Derby' where the victory went to the Pula club, although Rudar offered excellent resistance.

Istra took the lead in the 6th minute with a goal by Drena Beljo, but the 3rd division team turned the score around with goals by Tina Licul (32') and Lorenzo Boucaux (52)'.

Beljo equalized with his second goal in the 70th minute, and Serder Serderov brought Istra the victory seven minutes later for the final 3:2.

Lokomotiva defeated Varaždin in the final Wednesday match for the Croatian Cup quarterfinals, winning 3:2 in Varaždin. 

Lokomotiva led from the 6th minute when Aliyu scored for 0:1. Varaždin equalized in the 22nd minute when Stolnik cheated Nevistić with his head.

In the 28th minute, Stolnik pulled Aliyu by the hand, and Pivarić scored for 1:2 Lokomotiva. 

Varaždin opened the second half a bit better and equalized thanks to Postonjski in the 49th minute. However, Kacavenda's goal in the 72nd minute allowed Lokomotiva to retake the lead and ultimately the win. 

Hajduk, Osijek, and Slaven Belupo advanced to the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Rijeka and Oriolik will play the final round of 16 match on November 13. 

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Tuesday, 26 October 2021

Osijek, Hajduk, and Slaven Belupo First to Secure Croatian Cup Quarterfinals

October 26, 2021 - The Croatian Cup quarterfinals began on Tuesday, with the first teams securing their spot in the next round of the competition. 

Osijek was the first to advance to the Croatian Cup quarterfinals, topping second division team Rudeš 2:0 (0:0) in Zagreb.

After a more reserved first half, Osijek increased the tempo in the second half and deservedly won. The goals were scored by Ivan Fiolić and Ramon Mierez in the second half. Osijek coach Nenad Bjelica can be satisfied because Argentine Mierez scored after a long time. 

Hajduk advanced to the Cup quarterfinals with a convincing 5:1 (2:1) away victory against the third division team Belišće.

The triple scorer for Hajduk was Marko Livaja (4', 56', 68'), two goals were added by Marin Ljubičić (35', 58'), while the only goal for the home team was scored by Silvio Anočić (5').

Hajduk's second goalkeeper Danijel Subašić had his first appearance in an official match after almost two years. The former Croatia goalkeeper and 2018 World Cup finalist last stood in goal in an official match for Monaco in December 2019, playing against Lille. His last official appearance for Hajduk before this was in December 2011.

After Osijek and Hajduk, Slaven Belupo also qualified for the Croatian Cup quarterfinals. 

In the only round of 16 match between two first league teams, the Koprivnica club beat Šibenik at Šubićevac after a penalty shootout (1:1, 6:4).

The game was 1:1 in the first 120 minutes of play, thanks to two penalties. Belupo took the lead in the 68th minute (Krstanović), while Ćurić equalized for the hosts in the 92nd minute. Belupo showed more skill on penalties, scored all five shots from the penalty spot, and advanced to the quarterfinals 6:4 (1:1).

BSK - Dinamo, Gorica - Mladost Ždralovi, Rudar Labin - Istra 1961, and Varaždin - Lokomotiva will play on Wednesday, while Oriolik and Rijeka will play on November 13.

The quarterfinal draw will be held on Friday.

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Saturday, 16 October 2021

Croatian Football Cup Round of 16 Preview: The Teams & Schedule

October 16,  2021 - The Croatian Football Cup round of 16 begins later this month with the 16 remaining teams in the competition. 

The Croatian Football Cup is the largest football competition in Croatia, which will soon begin with the round of 16 matches, reports Gol.hr

In this phase of the competition, there is no classic draw, but the pairs are determined in such a way that the lower-ranked clubs, according to the cup coefficient, host the stronger ones according to the principle that the weakest host is the strongest (32-1, 31-2, 30- 3, 29-4, 28-5).

The entire SuperSport Croatian Football Cup is played in one game, with a classic draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals, without any winners.

Round of 32

September 14

Nehaj - Gorica 3:7

September 15

Bednja Beletinec - Osijek 0:3

September 21

Pitomaca - Rijeka 0:7
Dugopolje - Lokomotiva 8:9 (after penalties)
Primorac Biograd na Moru - Hajduk 1:2
Vuteks Sloga - Istra 1961 0:3
Mladost Zdralovi - Inter Zapresic 3:1

September 22

Orient 1919 - Dinamo 1:4
Karlovac 1919 - Slaven Belupo 0:2
Međimurje - Šibenik 0:1
Rudar Labin - Split 2:0
Belisce - Jaska Vinogradar Jastrebarsko 4:0
Bjelovar - Rudeš 1:5
Sesvete - Varaždin 2: 3 (after extra time)
BSK Bijelo Brdo - Cibalia 1:0
Zagreb - Oriolik 0:1

Round of 16

October 26

13:00 Rudeš - Osijek
15:00 Belišće - Hajduk
17:30 Sibenik - Slaven Belupo

October 27

15:00 BSK Bijelo Brdo - Dinamo
15:00 Rudar Labin - Istria 1961
15:00 Gorica - Mladost Ždralovi
17:30 Varaždin - Lokomotiva

November 13

14:00 Oriolik Oriovac - Rijeka

The Croatian Cup quarterfinals will be played on December 1, the semifinals on March 2, 2022, and the final on May 26, 2022. 

SuperSport became the title sponsor of the Croatian Football Cup back in September, reports HNS.

The signing ceremony, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, was attended by the president of the Croatian Football Federation, Marijan Kustić, executive director of HNS Tomislav Svetina, members of the management board of SuperSport betting Goran Đurić and Radim Haluza, and president of VOX-football and editor-in-chief of HNTV and Ivan Blažičko. In addition to the title sponsorship of the competition, SuperSport will directly financially assist the host clubs in the round of 16 phase of the Cup.

"We thank SuperSport for recognizing the sporting and market value of the Croatian Football Cup. We are pleased that we will have even greater visibility of the competition across the country through television broadcasts and that through this partnership, we will directly help host clubs in organizing the match," said HNS president Marijan Kustić.

"The Croatian Football Cup deserves a title sponsor, and that is why we are looking forward to this cooperation with SuperSport. This is an important step in further commercializing the competition under the auspices of HNS, which confirms the exceptional popularity and potential of Croatian football," said Tomislav Svetina.

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Thursday, 23 September 2021

Croatian Cup Round of 32 Recap: No Upsets, Rijeka with Biggest Victory into Last 16

September 23, 2021 - The Croatian Cup round of 32 came to a close on Wednesday, September 22, and the last 16 Croatian clubs in the competition are known. The round of 16 will be played on October 27. 

The SuperSport Croatian Football Cup round of 32 came to an end on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, reports HNS.

Rijeka was the most convincing in their victory, winning 7:0 against Pitomača thanks to goals by Bušnja (4′), Vučkić (36′, 54′), Vuk (49′), Abass (71′, 90′), and Obregon (88′-11m).

The defending champion Dinamo defeated Orient 1919 away 4:1, with goals by Čop, Leovac, Jurić, and Menalo. 

Perhaps the most exciting match happened in Senj, where Gorica was losing to Nehaj at halftime and turned the match around in the second half for the final 7:3. Lovrić, Pršir, Mitrović, Svast (own goal), and Dieye scored the 7 goals for Gorica's return. 

Lokomotiva was nearly shocked by Dugopolje but ultimately won only after eight series of penalties.

Thanks to an early penalty kick, Hajduk was shocked by Primorac Biograd, who scored for the lead in the 12th minute. Fortunately, Krovinovic equalized in the 42nd minute, and Ljubicic scored the winning goal in the 60th minute. 

Osijek had no issue in Beletinec and was better than Bednja thanks to 3 goals by Čeberk, Bočkaj and Daku. 

The round of 16 will be played on October 27, and a clash between the first division teams, Šibenik and Slaven Belupo, is a highlight of the next round. 

Croatian Cup round of 32 results:

Pitomača - Rijeka 0:7
Orijent 1919 - Dinamo 1:4
Dugopolje - Lokomotiva 8:9 (1:1)
Bednja - Osijek 0:3
Primorac Biograd - Hajduk 1:2
Vuteks Sloga - Istra 1961 0:3
Karlovac 1919 - Slaven Belupo 0:2
Mladost Ždralovi - Inter Zaprešić 3:1
Nehaj - Gorica 3:7
Međimurje - Šibenik 0:1
Rudar Labin - Split 2:0
Belišće - Jaska Vinogradar 4:0
Bjelovar - Rudeš 1:5
Sesvete - Varaždin 2:3
BSK - Cibalia 1:0
Zagreb - Oriolik 0:1

Croatian Cup round of 16 pairs:

Oriolik - Rijeka
BSK - Dinamo
Varaždin - Lokomotiva
Rudeš - Osijek
Belišće - Hajduk
Rudar Labin - Istra 1961
Šibenik - Slaven Belupo
Gorica - Mladost Ždralovi

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Wednesday, 19 May 2021

Croatian Cup Final: Dinamo Wins Double Crown with 6:3 Win Against Istra 1961

May 19, 2021 - Dinamo and Istra 1961 met in the Croatian Cup final on Wednesday in Velika Gorica. 

Dinamo defeated Istria 6:3 in the incredible Cup final and reached the 16th title in the Croatian Cup competition.

Dinamo took the lead in the 5th minute with a goal by Mislav Oršić, and Ademi increased it to 2:0 in the 9th minute. Dinamo's third goal was scored by Majer in the 33rd minute.

Istra sensationally reduced Dinamo's lead with two goals by Hara in the 52nd and 53rd minutes for 3:2. 

However, Dinamo returned to a two-goal advantage in the 59th minute with an own goal by Šutalo. 

Gržan reduced the lead to 4:3 in the 63rd minute from the penalty spot, and Mislav Oršić scored for 5:3 after a counter in the 73rd minute. Gavranović increased the lead to 6:3 in the 83rd minute, which was the final score of the match. 

This is the 16th Cup title for Dinamo and the 12th double crown. Istria, on the other hand, played their second Cup final, the last of which was played in 2003 when they lost to Hajduk under the name Uljanik.

Dinamo thus rounded off perhaps the most successful season in the history of the club. The "Blues" won the double crown and reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League, in which they were defeated by the finalists of that competition, Villarreal.

On the other hand, entering the final is a great success for the Pula club, but Istria must now turn to a tough fight to stay in the First League.

On Saturday, Istra plays in the last round away against the runners-up in Osijek. Before the last 90 minutes of the season, Istra has one point more than Lokomotiva, who will visit Hajduk.

Interestingly, after coming to Dinamo in 1995, Damir Krznar won three consecutive double crowns, and now he has won a double crown on the Dinamo bench.

Source: HRT

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Thursday, 29 April 2021

Croatian Cup Final: Dinamo Secures Final Spot after 4:1 Victory against Gorica

April 9, 2021 - Dinamo Zagreb advanced to the Croatian Cup final with a victory against Gorica after extra time in the semifinal match 4-1 (0-1, 1-1).

Gorica opened the match very well, took the lead with a goal by Špikić (3), but at the beginning of the second half, Mišić (46) equalized for 1-1. Dinamo's victory was secured in extra time thanks to Jakić (100), Majer (110), and Ademi (118).

Recap

Gorica took the lead thanks to an early goal the young Gorica striker Špikić, who will play for Dinamo from the summer. 

Gorica was a better opponent throughout the first half. Dinamo, despite falling behind, did not create a single dangerous situation in front of the opponent's goal. At the same time, Gorica threatened from quick counterattacks but lacked precision in the end to increase the lead.

The match completely turned around at the beginning of the second half when Dinamo coach Damir Krznar introduced Ademi and Majer into the game instead of Ivanušec and Franjić.

After only 46 seconds of play in the second half, Mišić equalized with an excellent shot from 20 meters. Kastrati entered the penalty area from the right side, pulled the defense on himself, and then served Mišić with a ball to score. 

In the 49th minute, Gorica was left with a player less after referee Zebec booked Keita with a second yellow. Dinamo then absolutely dominated.

Dinamo could have won before the end of the 90th minute. Oršić blew a chance in the 69th minute and decided to pass to Majer instead, while Kastrati missed with his head from four meters out in the 72nd minute.

Gorica could not hold on during the extra time. Dinamo took the lead in almost the same way that they equalized. Kastrati got the ball on the right-wing and sent the ball to Jakić, who shot from about 20 meters. Banić was helpless.

By the end of the match, Majer and Ademi set the final score in the 110th and 118th minutes, respectively, with precise low shots from the top of the penalty area.

In the final on May 19 in Velika Gorica, Dinamo will play against Istra 1961, which defeated the defending champions Rijeka 3-2 in the first semifinal two weeks ago.

Dinamo has won the Cup 15 times so far, while Istra 1961 does not have a single title.

Source: HRT

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Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Croatian Cup Quarterfinals: Istra 1961 and Gorica Advance to Semis

March 16, 2021 - After the Croatian Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, Istra 1961 and Gorica advance to the semifinals against Rijeka and Dinamo. 

Istra 1961 advanced to the Croatian Cup semifinals after defeating the third division Oriolik from Oriovac 3-0 (0-0). Two goals were scored by Japanese player Taichi Hara (61, 86), while Mario Živatović scored an own goal in the 89th minute.

In the small town of Oriovac, halfway between Gradiška and Slavonski Brod, Istra reached the semifinals of the Cup in tough playing conditions - rain, wind, and a sloppy pitch. 

Third division club Oriolik, for whom this is the greatest success in its 98 years, dominated in the first half. In the first nine minutes, Batalo and Marušić missed nearly guaranteed chances to score.

A penalty came in the 61st minute when Hara escaped from offside and scored for the Istra lead. Hara scored again in the 86th minute, and the final 3-0 was the work of Oriolik's Živatović, who scored an own goal in the 89th minute.

In the second quarterfinal on Tuesday, Gorica topped Hajduk 3-0 in Velika Gorica. Gorica and Hajduk also played just three days ago in the HNL, which ended 1:1

Kristijan Lovrić was Gorica's hero, scoring an early goal in the 9th minute for 1-0 at the half. Lovrić scored his second goal of the match for 2-0 in the 83rd minute, while Nimely made it 3-0 in the final minute of regulation time. Ivan Dolček scored for Hajduk in the 60th minute but it was called offside. 

Advancing to the Cup semis is Gorica's greatest achievement in club history.

In the other quarterfinal matches played at the beginning of the month, Rijeka celebrated at Osijek (2-1) and Dinamo at home against Slaven Belupo (2-0). 

In the semifinals, Gorica will play against Dinamo at Maksimirr, and Istra 1961 will host Rijeka in Pula.

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