August 26, 2019 - The 6th round of the Croatian First League was held from August 24 to 25, 2019, which featured Osijek and Hajduk at City Garden stadium. 

Slaven Belupo v. Varaždin (1:1)

Belupo and Varaždin opened the 6th round in Koprivnica on Saturday, August 24, 2019, in front of 1,682 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, the second half held all of the excitement. In the 54th minute, Adzic was booked for a double yellow which forced Varaždin to play with ten men. Four minutes later, Ejupi put Belupo in the lead at 1:0. Varaždin was able to equalize thanks to a goal by Stolnik in the 72nd minute. The game ended 1:1. 

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 7 points, while Varaždin is in 9th place with 3 points. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Lokomotiva (1:2)

Inter and Lokomotiva met on Sunday, August 25, 2019, in Zaprešić in front of 280 spectators. 

The game didn’t see a goal until just before halftime when Kastrati scored for the Lokomotiva lead (0:1). 

Inter equalized in the 68th minute when Mamut scored for 1:1, though Kastrati came back with another goal for Lokomotiva to retake the lead and secure the 1:2 victory.

Inter is currently in the last place with 2 points, while Lokomotiva is in 7th with 7.

Gorica v. Istra 1961 (1:1)

Gorica and Istra met on Sunday, August 25, 2019, in Velika Gorica in front of 2,431 spectators. 

Bosančić scored for the Istra lead in the 6th minute, though at the start of the second half, Gorica’s Hamad equalized for 1:1, which is how the game ended. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 8 points, while Istra is in 6th with 7. 

Osijek v. Hajduk (1:0)

Osijek and Hajduk met on Sunday, August 25, 2019, to close out the 6th round at City Garden Stadium in front of 7,354 spectators. 

Osijek’s Mance put the home team in the lead in the 34th minute, and though Hajduk attacked Osijek’s goal numerous times in the second half, they were unable to equalize. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 11 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 12. 

Dinamo and Rijeka have postponed their derby, which was initially scheduled for the weekend. 

“Due to the established timetable of the Champions League play-off round in which GNK Dinamo competes, and the Europa League play-off round for HNK Rijeka, it is not possible to secure a term in which both clubs would have a level playing field.

For this reason, the commissioner of the First HNL competition has decided to postpone the HT First League 6th round match between GNK Dinamo and HNK Rijeka.

The match will be played in the first possible free term, no later than Wednesday, December 18, 2019,” GNK Dinamo said in a statement. 

You can see the full HNL table here.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

August 19, 2019 - The 5th round of the Croatian First League was held from August 16 to 18, 2019, and saw Hajduk humiliate an otherwise strong Gorica to hold their second-place spot on the table. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Dinamo (1:2)

Inter and Dinamo opened the 5th round on Friday, August 16, 2019, at the Zaprešić stadium in front of 2,686 spectators. 

Inter was the first to score thanks to a goal by Tsonev in the 8th minute, though Dinamo's Atiemwen equalized just before the half for 1:1. Inter’s Galić was shown a red card in the 49th minute, and Dinamo quickly capitalized on the extra man as Atiemwen scored again for 1:2 in the 50th minute. The game ended at 1:2.

Inter is currently in 9th place with 2 points, while Dinamo is in 1st with 13. 

Varaždin v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Varaždin met at the NK Varteks stadium on Saturday, August 17, 2019, in front of 2,231 spectators. 

Glavica scored for the Varaždin lead in the 44th minute for 1:0 at the half, though Lokomotiva equalized in the 56th minute from a goal by Uzuni for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Varaždin is currently in the last place with 2 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th with 4. 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo (2:3)

Istria and Belupo met on Saturday, August 17, 2019, at the Aldo Drosina Stadium in Pula in front of 2,027 spectators.

Krstanović scored for the Belupo lead in the 12th minute,  though Gržan scored a penalty to equalize 3 minutes later for 1:1. Istra then took the lead thanks to a goal by Regan in the 35th minute, though Belupo equalized just 7 minutes later for 2:2 at the half. 

Puclin scored for Belupo in the 60th minute for a final score of 2:3. 

Istra is currently in 6th place with 6 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 6. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (3:0)

Hajduk and Gorica met on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at Poljud stadium in front of 14,054 spectators. 

Jairo scored for Hajduk to make it 1:0 in the 30th minute, which was the score at the half. Gorica was given a red card in the 60th minute, forcing the visiting team to play with a man down for the rest of the game.

In the 67th minute, Jairo increased Hajduk’s lead and his number of goals to 2:0, and just two minutes later, Hajduk defender Josip Juranović made it 3:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 12 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 7. 

Rijeka v. Osijek (1:1)

Rijeka and Osijek met on Sunday, August 19, 2019, to close out the 5th round at Rujevica stadium.

Rijeka’s Čolak put the home team in the lead at 1:0 in the 34th minute. It wasn’t until the 86th minute that Žaper equalized for Osijek to end the game 1:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 10 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 8.

You can see the full HNL table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

August 12, 2019 - The 4th round of the Croatia First League was held from August 9 to 11, 2019. The 4th round saw a derby between Osijek and Dinamo, and Rijeka and Hajduk recorded their first defeats. 

Osijek v. Dinamo (0:0)

Osijek and Dinamo opened the 4th round on Friday, August 9, 2019, at City Garden Stadium in front of 5,127 fans. 

It was a mostly even game where both teams had periods of strength and opportunities to score, which they failed to capitalize. Osijek, however, missed too many easy shots on goal in, which should have put them in the lead on a handful of occasions. 

Osijek is currently in 5th place with 7 points, while Dinamo remains in 1st place with 10 points. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Varaždin (2:2)

Inter and Varaždin met on Saturday, August 10, 2019, in Zaprešić in front of 484 spectators. 

Inter opened the scoring spree in the 15th minute with a goal by Bosec, though Varaždin equalized just 7 minutes later after Stolnik scored for 1:1. Inter retook the lead in the 28th minute for 2:1 at the half. Just minutes after, Varaždin’s Sambolec was booked for a double yellow and sent off the pitch. Glavica then scored for Varaždin to equalize in the 54th minute. The game ended at 2:2. 

Inter is currently in 9th place with two points, while Varaždin is in the last place with one. 

Lokomotiva v. Istra 1961 (4:1)

Lokomotiva and Istra met at Kranjčevićeva Street on Saturday, August 10, 2019, in front of 522 fans. 

Lokomotiva scored two goals in the first half - by Datković in the 34th and Ivanušec in the 38th for 2:0 at the half. Ćuže came back with one goal for Istra in the 79th minute for 2:1, though Drozdek and Kastrati secured another two for Lokomotiva in two minutes. The game ended at 4:1. 

Lokomotiva is in 7th place with 3 points, while Istra is in 6th with 6. 

Slaven Belupo v. Hajduk (2:1)

Belupo and Hajduk met on Sunday, August 11, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 2,879 spectators. 

Puclin scored first to put Belupo in the lead in the 37th minute for 1:0 at the half. Hajduk’s Jakoliš was shown a red card in the 56th minute, forcing the Split club to play with a man down for the remainder of the game. Belupo also saw one of their players get booked for a double yellow in the 79th minute. 

Krstanović scored a penalty for Belupo in the 84th minute for 2:0, though Eduok managed one for Hajduk in the 6th minute of injury time for the final score of 2:1. 

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 3 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 9 points. 

Gorica v. Rijeka (2:0)

Gorica and Rijeka met on Sunday, August 11, 2019, to close out the 4th round in Velika Gorica in front of 2,893 spectators. 

Ndiaye scored for Gorica in the 46th minute for 1:0 at the half. Suk increased Gorica’s lead in the 67th minute for 2:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Gorica is currently in 4th place with 7 points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 9. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

August 4, 2019 - The 3rd round of the Croatian First League was held from August 2 to 4, 2019. Each 3rd round victory achieved by Osijek, Hajduk, Dinamo, Rijeka, and Istria featured three goals.

Dinamo v. Gorica (3:1)

Dinamo and Gorica opened the 3rd round of the Croatian First League on Friday, August 2, 2019, in front of 2,676 spectators at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb. 

Spanish superstar Dani Olmo scored for Dinamo first in the 22nd minute for 1:0 at the half. Moro increased Dinamo’s lead in the 57th minute for 2:0, while Gojak made it 3:0 in the 83rd minute. Lovrić managed to score Gorica’s only goal in the 86th minute. 

Dinamo is currently in first place with 9 points while Gorica is in 6th place with 4 points. 

Istria 1961 v. Varaždin (3:1)

Istria and Varaždin met for the second game of the 3rd round on Friday, August 2, 2019, in front of 1,922 spectators at Aldo Drosina stadium in Pula. 

Ćuže scored for Istria already in the 9th minute of the game for 1:0, which was the score at halftime. Ćuže came back with another goal in the 48th minute for 2:0, though a penalty was awarded to Varaždin ten minutes later to bring the score to a less comfortable 2:1 for Istria. 

Ćuže, however, saved the day with a hattrick and his third goal in the 73rd minute for the 3:1 Istria win. 

Istria is currently in 5th place with 6 points while Varaždin is in 8th with 0. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (3:1)

Rijeka and Slaven Belupo met at Rujevica stadium on Saturday, August 3, 2019, in front of 4,289 spectators. 

Čolak opened the game with a goal for Rijeka in the 24th minute, which was followed with one by Lončar in the 30th for 2:0 at the half. Krstanović managed a goal for Belupo in the 47th minute, though Rijeka secured their victory in the 73rd minute after Tomečak scored for 3:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 9 points while Belupo is in 9th place with 0. 

Hajduk v. Lokomotiva (3:0)

Hajduk and Lokomotiva met at Poljud stadium in Split on Sunday,  August 4, 2019, in front of 15,156 spectators. 

Hajduk’s first goal came in the 40th minute after a brilliant assist by Eduok found the boot of Caktaš for 1:0. Just three minutes later, Eduok scored a goal of his own for 2:0 at the half. 

But Hajduk wasn’t done scoring yet, and Nejašmić hit a rocket for 3:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 9 points while Lokomotiva is in the last place with 0. 

Osijek v. Inter Zaprešić (3:1)

Osijek and Inter met on Sunday, August 4, 2019, in front of 1,855 spectators at City Garden Stadium to close out the 3rd round. 

While Inter was the first to score thanks to a goal by Serderov in the 20th minute, Osijek picked up the pace in the second for two goals in two minutes to take the lead (Bočkaj 68’, Kleinheisler 69’). 

Mance secured Osijek’s win in the 75th minute for 3:1. 

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 6 points while Inter is in 7th with 1. 

You can find the full HNL table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

The 2nd round of the Croatian First League was held from July 26 to 28, 2019, and featured big wins for Hajduk and Dinamo, while Osijek suffered a major upset to Gorica. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Istria 1961 (0:2)

Inter and Istria met on Friday, July 26, 2019, at the Zaprešić stadium to open the 2nd round of the 2019/20 season. 

While the first half went without goals, Istria’s Cuze scored in the 83rd minute for the 0:1 lead, and increased the lead in the 93rd minute for the 0:2 Istria win.

Inter is currently in 7th place with one point, while Istria is in 6th with 3 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo Zagreb (0:3)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Saturday, July 27, 2019, in Koprivnica for the second game of the 2nd round in front of 2,517 spectators. 

Dinamo’s Petković was quick to score in the 4th minute for a 0:1 Dinamo lead. Atiemwen increased Dinamo’s lead to 0:2 five minutes before the half. Dinamo secured one last goal in the 89th minute thanks to Moro, and walked away with a 0:3 victory. 

Belupo is currently in the last place with 0 points, while Dinamo is in 1st place with 6 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (0:1)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka met on Saturday, July 27, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva stadium in Zagreb in front of 829 fans. 

The game went without goals until the final minutes when Rijeka’s Čolak scored in the second minute of added time for the 0:1 win. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 9th place with no points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 6 points. 

Gorica v. Osijek (3:1)

Gorica and Osijek met on Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Velika Gorica in front of 1,280 spectators. 

Gorica was the first to score in the 35th minute thanks to a goal by Ndiaye for 1:0 at the half. Miya increased Gorica’s lead to 2:0 in the 53rd minute,  and Ndiaye came back with his second goal of the match for 3:0 in the 75th minute! While there was not much hope for Osijek, they were able to get one goal in the 90th minute thanks to Marić. 

Gorica is currently in 4th place with 4 points, while Osijek is in 5th place with 3 points. 

Varaždin v. Hajduk (0:3)

Varaždin and Hajduk met on Sunday, July 27, 2019, to close out the 2nd round at the NK Varteks stadium in front of 5,132 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, Hajduk pressed in the second half to score all three goals of the game - the first by Dolček in the 49th minute, then a Caktaš penalty in the 55th, and a debut goal for new Hajduk player Eduok in the 86th for 0:3. 

Varaždin is currently in 8th place with zero points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 6 points. 

You can find the full HNL table here.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 19, 2019 - Croatian clubs Dinamo, Osijek, and Hajduk have learned of their opponents in the Champions League and Europa League for the 2019/20 season. 

Namely, Dinamo Zagreb will kick off their Champions League campaign this year in the 2nd qualifying round where they will meet the winner of FC Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova and FC Saburtalo from Georgia. 

The first match will be played in Moldova or Georgia on July 23 and 24, while the return match will be held on July 30 or 31 at Maksimir in Zagreb.

With its coefficient of 29,500, Dinamo had the status of a top seed in the first qualifying round draw. 

ℹ️ The official result of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round draw.

(matches 23/24 July & 30/31 July)#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/Ms1mGm0Jr2

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 19, 2019

Sheriff is expected to advance over Saburtalo, and Dinamo should make it to the 3rd qualifying round. Otherwise, Sheriff is an old acquaintance of Zagreb, and in the last decade, they have met three times in the qualifying rounds for the Champions League. In 2010, the Moldavian club went ahead thanks to a penalty shoot-out, while there was no dilemma in 2012 - Dinamo celebrated 5:0. In 2013, the draw coupled the two clubs again, and Dinamo went through with a 4:0 aggregate.

In the Europa League, Hajduk Split will meet Gzira United from Malta in the 1st qualifying round of the competition. If they advance, they will face the winner of FK Ventspils and Teuta. 

Osijek will enter the competition in the 2nd qualifying round and unfortunately pulled the most difficult rival. Namely, Osijek will play against the better of CSKA Sofia and Montenegrin club OFK Titograd. CSKA Sofia was a club both Osijek and Hajduk, who were in the same group for the draw, wanted to avoid.

The biggest stars of the Bulgarian club, which finished second in the championship with five points behind Ludogorets in first, are Portuguese midfielder Tiago Rodrigues and Ruben Pinto. According to Transfermarkt, CSKA is worth eight million euros more than Osijek, and Titograd is nine times more expensive.

If Hajduk advances past the Malta club, they will play against Ventspils from Latvia or Teuta from Albania. In the clash of the Latvian and Albanian teams, it is difficult to determine the favorite. Ventspils only secured fifth place in the championship this season. Teuta came in third last season and was led by former Hajduk player Tomislav Bušić.

The first matches of the 2nd qualifying round are played on July 25, with the return match one week later. Osijek and Hajduk will play away in the first round. 

Rijeka is included in the 3rd qualifying round of the Europa League and will be a top seed. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

For the seventh year in a row, Croatia national team captain Luka Modrić was named the best Croatian footballer in the past season, while Dinamo Zagreb player Dani Olmo won two awards - the best young player and best player of the Croatian First Football League, reports HRT on June 2, 2019. 

The member of the Croatian champion and U-21 Spain team was unable to attend the awards ceremony in Opatija but thanked everyone for the honor in a video message. 

“I’m sorry that I could not be with you tonight in Opatija, but I have obligations with the Spain U-21 team. Therefore, I thank all the players and coaches who voted for me. You know that Zagreb is my second home,” said Olmo.

The winner of all possible individual awards in the past year, a footballer who broke the decade-long domination of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or, was named the best for the seventh year in a row by the Croatian Association “Football Union" (HUNS). Thus, the trophy again ended in the hands of Luks Modrić, although his season with Real Madrid was modest and without trophies.

HNS

“Thanks to everyone who voted for me, this award means a lot to me because it comes from the players themselves and the professional staff. Of course, most thanks to my teammates without which I would not receive any individual prizes,” Modrić said and announced that Real Madrid would show in the next season that they are the best club in the world.

The award for the best Croatian female player went to 26-year-old Leonarda Balog of ŽNK Split.

The best goalkeeper award went to Dinamo’s Dominik Livaković and the coach of the Croatian champions, Nenad Bjelica, was named the best coach in the HNL. 

The best team of the Croatian First League included five Dinamo players, three from Rijeka, two from Hajduk and one from Lokomotiva. The top 11 includes Dominik Livaković, Zoran Kvržić, Kévin Théophile-Catherine, Emir Dilaver, Filip Bradarić, Luka Ivanušec, Dani Olmo, Domagoj Pavičić, Bruno Petković, Jakov Puljić, and Jairo de Macedo da Silva.

For the first time, the best player of the Croatian First Futsal League named. The award went to Duško Martinac of HMNK Vrgorac. Ivan Bebek won the best referee for the first time.

The special award "Good Spirit of Croatian Football" was awarded to the longtime doctor of the Croatia national team Boris Nemec.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

April 15, 2019 - The 29th round of the Croatian First League was held from April 12 to 14, 2019. The fight for the ‘Top 4’ on the table is getting even more exciting, as Hajduk jumped over Lokomotiva to fourth place thanks to a massive win on Sunday. 

Check out our round 29 recap below. 

Osijek v. Rudeš (2:0)

Osijek and Rudeš opened the 29th round at City Garden Stadium on Friday, April 12, 2019, in front of 791 fans. 

Osijek scored their first goal of the game early thanks to Kleinheisler in the 11th minute. Marić was able to up Osijek’s lead in the 42nd minute for 2:0, which was the final result of the game. Marić did have the chance to make it 3:0, though he missed a penalty in the 82nd. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 50 points, while Rudeš remains in last with 10. 

Istra 1961 v. Dinamo (0:4)

Istria and Dinamo met in Pula on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Ademi scored Dinamo’s first goal in the 20th minute, which was followed by Oršić’s goal for 0:2 in the 44th minute. Olmo increased Dinamo’s lead in the 65th for 0:3, which was followed by another goal by the Spaniard in the 73rd for 0:4. 

Istra is in 9th place with 18 points, while Dinamo remains in first place with 76 points. 

Rijeka v. Inter Zaprešić (7:0)

Rijeka and Inter met at Rujevica on Saturday, April 13, 2019. 

Halilović opened Rijeka’s scoring fest with a goal in the 27th minute. Puljić increased Rijeka’s lead in the 41st for 2:0, and scored a penalty 3 minutes later for 3:0. 

Acosty scored Rijeka’s fourth goal at the start of the second half, followed by a Pavičić goal in the 58th for 5:0. Puljić scored his hat trick in the 88th for 6:0, and secured Rijeka’s blowout win with his fourth goal of the game in the 91st. 

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 56 points, while Inter is in 7th with 27.

Gorica v. Slaven Belupo (4:3)

Gorica and Belupo met in Velika Gorica on Sunday, April 14, 2019. 

Belupo was the first to score with a goal by Krstanović in the 9th minute, though Gorica equalized in the 27th minute thanks to Ndiaye. Gorica took the lead in the 34th minute after Lovrić scored, and increased their lead to 3:1 thanks to Dvorneković. 

Mateus brought Belupo new life after scoring in the 62nd minute for 2:3, and Krstanović equalized in the 86th for 3:3. However, Zwolinski scored a late-game winner for Gorica in the 90th minute (4:3). 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 45 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 26. 

Lokomotiva v. Hajduk (0:1)

Lokomotiva and Hajduk met on Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Zagreb to close out the 29th round. 

The game was the battle for 4th place, and Hajduk prevailed. Though the first half went without goals, Hajduk’s Jairo scored in the 80th minute for 0:1 and the win. 

Lokomotiva has dropped to 6th place with 44 points, while Hajduk has jumped to 4th with 47 points. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.  

April 9, 2019 - The 27th and 28th rounds of the Croatian First League was held from April 2 to 8, 2019, for one very busy week of Croatian football.

April 1, 2019 - The Croatian First League returned for the 26th round over the weekend after the international break. It was a rather exciting weekend for Hajduk who moved into 4th place, which currently secures them a Europa League spot. However, things are not as optimistic for Osijek, after coach Zoran Zekić turned in his mandate.