December 14, 2020 - The 15th round of the Croatian First League was held on December 12 and 13, 2020. This round featured an exciting derby at Rujevica, which saw Rijeka and Dinamo draw, while Osijek and Hajduk suffered two heavy away defeats. 

Gorica v. Osijek (4:1)

Gorica and Osijek opened the 15th round on Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Velika Gorica. 

Dieye was the first to score for Gorica in the 13th minute for the 1:0 lead, which was the result going into halftime. An equalizer by Mierez in the 49th gave Osijek hope before Kalik scored two goals for Gorica in the 54th and. 65th for 3:1. Mitrovic scored the final goal of the game in the 77th minute for the final 4:1 result.  

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 26 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 30. 

Varazdin v. Hajduk (4:2) 

Varazdin and Hajduk met on Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Varazdin. 

Posavec was the first to score for Gorica in the 4th minute for the early lead. Grgec increased Varazdin's lead in the 32nd minute for 2:0 at the half. Senic increased Varazdin's lead further in the 58th minute for 3:0. It wasn't until the 72nd minute that Caktas gave some hope to Hajduk for 3:1 and scored another goal five minutes later for 3:2. However, a final minute goal by Obregon locked in Varazdin's 4:2 victory. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 12 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 17. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo met on Sunday, December 13, 2020, in Zagreb. 

Prce put Belupo in the lead in the 38th minute for 0:1 at the half, though a quick equalizer at the start of the second by Tuci made it 1:1 in the 51st. Ibrahim put Lokomotiva in the lead with a goal in the 72nd minute for 2:1, which was the final result of the match. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 12 points, while Belupo is in 6th with 17. 

Rijeka v. Dinamo (2:2)

Rijeka and Dinamo closed out the 15th round on Sunday, December 13, 2020, at Rujevica. 

Dinamo took the very early lead with a goal by Ivanusec in the 1st minute of play for 0:1 Dinamo. Galovic equalized for Rijeka in the 28th minute, before Menalo put Rijeka in the lead in the 35th for 2:1 at the half. Lauristen scored Dinamo's equalizer in the 82nd minute for 2:2. which was the final score of the match. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 20 points, while Dinamo is in first place with 30. 

The 15th round match between Sibenik and Istria in 1961, which was to be played on Sunday, December 13 at 3 pm at Šubićevac, was postponed due to players infected with COVID-19 on both teams.

"After testing the complete teams of HNK Sibenik and NK Istra 1961 on December 3, coronavirus was confirmed in a large number of players in both clubs. Since the players have to be in isolation for at least ten days, it was impossible to play the 15th round match at the previously scheduled time," announced Sibenik.

Sibenik and Istra 1961 should also meet in the Cup at Šubićevac, which has been moved a day forward and is scheduled for December 15 at 3 pm.

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

December 10, 2020 - Rijeka closed out their Europa League campaign this season with a win against AZ Alkmaar, while Dinamo topped CSKA Moscow 3:1 at home and made European history. 

In the final 6th round of the Europa League on Thursday, Rijeka defeated AZ Alkmaar 2-1 (0-0) at Rujevica in Group F.

Rijeka took the lead with a goal by Menalo in the 52nd minute, but five minutes later, Wijndal equalized. Rijeka sealed their victory with a goal by Tomečak in the third minute of added time. The club bid farewell to the European competition until next season after finishing last in the group. 

Although the match was much more important for the Dutch club, whose victory ensured their passage to the next round, Rijeka was equally motivated on the pitch, even though they had long known that this would be the end.

In the second match of this group, Napoli and Real Sociedad played 1-1 (1-0) at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Napoli led with a goal by Zielinski (35), and Willian Jose equalized in the second minute of added time. 

Napoli won first place in Group F with 11 points; Real Sociedad finished in second place with nine, AZ Alkmaar remained third with eight points, while Rijeka was last with four points.

In the later match on Thursday, Dinamo, who already won first place in Group K before the final round, defeated CSKA Moscow at Maksimir thanks to goals by Joško Gvardiol in the 28th minute, Mislav Orsic in the 41st, and Lirim Kastrati in the 74th. 

Dinamo was not without motive tonight, as they could have entered European football history as the first team to finish a Europa League group or a Champions League group without conceding a goal. Unfortunately, a late goal by CSKA's Bistrovic (74') cut their dream short.

However, Dinamo still made history tonight for going the longest in the Champions League or Europa League group stages without conceding a goal. Namely, Dinamo did not concede a goal for 527 minutes this season. Manchester United was the last club to hold the record, going 482 minutes without conceding a goal in the 2010/11 Champions League group stage.

In the second match of Group K, Wolfsberger AC defeated Feyenoord 1-0. 

Dinamo thus finished at the top of Group K, Wolfsberger finished in second, Feyenoord in third, and CSKA Moscow in the last place. 

The UEFA Europa League draw for the next round will be held in just a few days, on December 14.

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

December 7, 2020 - The 14th round of the Croatian First League was held on December 5 and 6, 2020. Only three matches were played in this round, the most exciting of which was the Adriatic Derby at Poljud. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (1:0)

Osijek and Varazdin opened the 14th round on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at City Garden Stadium. 

While the first half went without goals, Bohar gave Osijek the lead and ultimately the win with his goal in the 59th minute for 1:0. 

Osijek is currently in first place with 30 points, while Varazdin is in 9th place with 9 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (1:5)

Belupo and Dinamo met in Koprivnica on Sunday, December 6, 2020. 

Gavranovic scored two early goals for Dinamo in the 5th and 16th minutes, making the score 0:2 for Dinamo at the half. Petkovic increased Dinamo's lead to 0:3 in the 78th minute, while Knoll was able to get one in for Belupo in the 85th. Two more goals for Dinamo in the 4th and 5th minutes of added time by Hajrovic and Ivanusec resulted in a 1:5 victory for the Zagreb club. 

Slaven Belupo is currently in 6th place with 17 points, while Dinamo is in second with 29.

Hajduk v. Rijeka (1:2)

Hajduk and Rijeka closed out the 14th round on Sunday, December 6,  2020, with the Adriatic Derby at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Hajduk first took the lead in the 10th minute thanks to a Caktas penalty for 1:0. Rijeka's Loncar equalized five minutes before the half for 1:1. 

The second half was reminiscent of a water polo match, as the teams played in pools of water on the pitch during a constant downpour. A goal by Menalo in the 70th minute gave Rijeka the lead and ultimately the 1:2 win. 

Hajduk is currently in 5th place with 17 points, while Rijeka is in 4th place with 19 points. 

Two 14th round matches, between Lokomotiva - Šibenik, which was to be played on Saturday, and Istra 1961 - Gorica, which was scheduled for Monday, were postponed due to COVID-19 in the teams of Šibenik and Istra 1961. Šibenik and Istra 1961 have six players infected with the coronavirus.

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

December 4, 2020 - The 5th round of the Europa League was played on Thursday evening. With a 2:0 win against Feyenoord, Dinamo moves into the last 32, and Rijeka secures their first point with a 2:2 draw against Real Sociedad. 

Dinamo has moved into the final 32 teams of the Europa League after winning first place in Group K. In the penultimate 5th round, the Zagreb club topped Feyenoord 2:0 in Rotterdam.

Bruno Petkovic scored for Dinamo from a penalty kick in the fifth minute of the first half and Lovro Majer secured their victory with a goal in the 53rd minute.

Dinamo arrived in Rotterdam as the only club in the Europa League that did not concede a goal this season. In the first four rounds, Dinamo booked eight points with a goal differential of 4:0. They also managed to keep their net clean in the Netherlands, so after 350 minutes of play, the Croatian champion had a goal differential of 6:0 and 11 points.

?????????????????#dinamozagreb #UEL pic.twitter.com/zsji6Wvicc

— GNK Dinamo (@gnkdinamo) December 3, 2020

In the second match of Group K, Wolfsberger defeated CSKA away in Moscow 1:0 with a great goal by the young Croatia national team player Dario Vizinger, who beat Akinfeyev with a shot from more than 20 meters in the 22nd minute.

Dinamo secured first place with 11 points one round before the end. In second place is Wolfsberger with seven points, followed by Feyenoord in third with five points, and CSKA in last with only three points.

In the final round next week, Dinamo will host CSKA at Maksimir in a match where the result has no importance, while Wolfsberger and Feyenoord will simultaneously play a match in Klagenfurt for second place in the group, which also leads to the last 32. A point is enough for the Austrian team to pass, while the Dutch giant needs a victory.

In the second match on Thursday, Rijeka reached their first point in the 5th round of Group F, playing 2:2 (1:0) away against the leading team of the Spanish championship, Real Sociedad, in San Sebastian.

Rijeka led twice with goals from Darko Velkovski (37) and Stjepan Lončar (73), and the home team equalized through Jon Bautista (69) and Nach Montreal (79).

As has been the case in all Rijeka's matches in the group so far, coach Simon Rožman decided to play a better opponent with a stronger defense and only one player on top. Therefore, Real Sociedad only sporadically threatened goalkeeper Nevistić.

In the second match of Group F, AZ Alkmaar and Napoli played 1:1 (0:1). Napoli took the lead through Mertens (6), Martins Indi (54) equalized, and Koopmeiners missed a penalty for the home team in the 60th minute.

One round before the end of the group stage, Napoli leads the table with 10 points, Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar have eight points each, while Rijeka is last with one point. 

In one week, Rijeka and AZ Alkmaar and Napoli and Real Sociedad will meet in the last round. The first two teams from the group will make it to the last 32. 

Source: HRT

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November 30, 2020 - The 13th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 27 to 29, 2020. This round saw Rijeka and Osijek draw, while the highly-anticipated Eternal Derby between Dinamo and Hajduk was postponed. 

Sibenik v. Slaven Belupo (0:3)

Sibenik and Slaven Belupo opened the 13th round on Friday, November 27, 2020, in Sibenik. 

A goal in the first-minute by Lulic gave Belupo the early 0:1 lead. Thirty minutes later, Etoundi increased Belupo's lead to 0:2, which was the score at the half. The final goal of the match was scored in the 80th minute by Knoll, for the 0:3 Belupo victory. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 13 points, while Belupo is in 6th place with 14. 

Varazdin v. Istra 1961 (1:1)

Varazdin and Istra met on Saturuday, November 28, 2020, in Varazdin. 

While the first half went without goals, Obregon was the first to score for the Varazdin lead in the 51st minute. A penalty for Istra in the 7th minute of added time was scored by Grzan for the equalizer and final 1:1 result. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 9 points, while Istra is in 10th with 9 points. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Gorica and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, November 28, 2020, in Velika Gorica. 

Lovric put Gorica in the lead in the 13th minute for 1:0 at the half. Tuci scored the equalizer in the 50th minute for the final 1:1 result. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 23 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 9. 

Rijeka v. Osijek (1:1)

Rijeka and Osijek closed out the 13th round at Rujevica Stadium on Sunday, November 29, 2020. 

While the first half went without goals, a double-yellow for Pavicic forced Rijeka to play with a man down from the 60th minute. However, Andrijasevic scored for Rijeka just four minutes later for the 1:0 lead. An 83rd-minute equalizer by Bockaj ended the game 1:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 5th place with 16 points, while Osijek is in 1st with 27. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

November 27, 2020 - In the 4th round of the Europa League on Thursday, Dinamo tops Wolfsberger AC and Rijeka falls to Napoli. 

Dinamo Zagreb is one step closer to placing in the Europa League round of 16. In the 4th round match of Group K as guests in Klagenfurt, they defeated Austrian club Wolfsberger 0:3 and thus stand out at the top of the table.

The scorers were Lovro Majer in the 60th minute, Bruno Petković in the 75th, and Luka Ivanušec in the first minute of the referee's added time.

Dinamo has yet to concede a goal, even after four rounds, and with eight points they lead this group. In the other match on Thursday, CSKA and Feyenoord played 0:0 in Moscow.

Nikola Vlašić played the whole match for CSKA, while Kristijan Bistrović entered the game in the 71st minute.

Two rounds before the end of the group competition, Dinamo is at the top of the table with eight points, in second is Feyenoord with five, Wolfsberger has four in third, and in last is CSKA with three.

In a week, Dinamo will play against Feyenoord in Rotterdam, while at the same time, CSKA will host Wolfsberger in Moscow.

Rijeka suffered their fourth defeat in Group F, losing 0-2 (0-1) away to Napoli in Naples.

Napoli came to victory with a goal by Politano in the 41st minute and onel by Hirving Lozano in the 75th minute.

With this defeat in Naples, Rijeka lost its theoretical chances of winning one of the first two places in the group leading in the round of 16 and remains in last without points. Rijeka will remain in last place at the end of the competition.

Rijeka played in Naples the day after the death of the great Diego Maradona, who was most responsible for the club's only two Italian championship titles (1987, 1990). Napoli came out on the pitch adorning the number 10 on their backs to honor the Argentine football legend. 

The second match of Group F between AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad ended without goals. Two rounds before the end, Napoli leads with nine points, followed by AZ and Real with seven points each, while Rijeka is last without points.

In the 5th round match in one week, Rijeka will play against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, while AZ and Napoli will play in Alkmaar at the same time.

Source: HRT

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

November 23, 2020 - The 12th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 20 to 21, 2020. In this round, Osijek topped Dinamo 2:0, and Hajduk won away at Belupo.

Lokomotiva v. Varazdin (2:2)

Lokomotiva and Varazdin opened the 12th round on Friday, November 20, 2020, in Zagreb. 

Delic scored the first goal for Varazdin in the 7th minute, though Chajia was quick to equalize for Lokomotiva with a goal three minutes later for 1:1. An own goal by Hendija gave Varazdin the 1:2 lead in the 60th, but a last-minute equalizer by Papadopoulos ended the game 2:2. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 8 points, while Varazdin is in 9th with 8. 

Sibenik v. Gorica (1:3)

Sibenik and Gorica met for the second match on Friday, November 20, 2020, in Sibenik.

While Ampem gave Sibenik the lead in the 7th minute and through the first half, Gorica woke up in the second and scored all three of their goals - Cabraja in the 62nd, Suk in the 81st, and Lovric in the 3rd minute of added time. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 13 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 19. 

Osijek v. Dinamo (2:0)

Osijek and Dinamo met on Saturday, November 21, 2020, at City Garden Stadium.

While the first half went without goals, Osijek's Pilj gave the home team the lead in the 54th minute, and Zaper increased their lead to 2:0 in the 89th for the final score of the match. 

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 23 points, while Dinamo is in first with 26.

Slaven Belupo v. Hajduk (0:2)

Belupo and Hajduk closed out the 12th round on Saturday, November 21, 2020, in Koprivnica. 

Hajduk Nayir scored the first goal of the match just before the half for 0:1. An own goal by Soldo increased Hajduk's lead to 0:2 in the 56th minute, which was the final result. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 11 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 14. 

At the request of Rijeka, which counted seven footballers positive for coronavirus, the Croatian Football Federation postponed their 12th round match against Istria 1961, which was to be played on Saturday, November 21, in Pula. 

See the full HNL table HERE. 

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

ZAGREB November 12, 2020 - Just two days ago, he spoke at the commemoration of Dinamo Zagreb's Slaven Zambata. Today, the saddening news of his death was announced. Krasnodar Rora will be remembered as one of the greatest Dinamo players of all time.

As 24sata reports, in less than two weeks, football club Dinamo Zagreb has lost two legends who are credited with the club’s greatest successes. Following the death of Slaven Zambata, a former Dinamo football player and member of the Yugoslav national team, who died two weeks ago, the club announced today that Krasnodar Rora has also passed away.

Zambata and Rora used to be teammates, and just two days ago, Rora said goodbye to him at Zambata's commemoration in Maksimir Stadium and the Mirogoj Cemetery with an emotional speech.

"I was speechless when my wife told me. We were wedding godparents. He was our godfather," Rora told 24sata recently on the occasion of Slaven Zambata's death.

Rora died early in the morning on Thursday 12 November 2020, at the age of 75. He will be remembered as the popular left-wing of Dinamo's blue jersey from the end of the '60s to the beginning of the '70s when he played 459 games and scored 90 goals in 10 years. He took part in the club's greatest success in history in 1967 when Dinamo Zagreb won the Fair Cities Cup by defeating Leeds in the final. Rora was therefore one of the symbols of the 1967 generation.

Born on March 23, 1945, on Vis, he made his first footballing steps at the age of 14 in Šibenik. There he spent his childhood in the "football district" of Šubićevac, known for its football stadium. In 1964, he came to Dinamo Zagreb, where he inherited the number 11 jersey. Later, he played for Belgian team Standard Liège, then for Nancy Lorraine, where he played alongside legend of French and world football, Michel Platini. Platini himself, during his visit to the Croatian Football Association, pointed out: "I would not have become such a player if I had not stayed to work with Rora after training."

After his career as a football player, Rora was a coach at Dinamo's football school and held the position of assistant head coach. As an expert commentator, he also excelled in journalism.

To read more sport news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November 9, 2020 - The 11th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 7 to 8, 2020. This round saw Hajduk and Osijek draw at Poljud, while Dinamo toppled Istra 5:0. 

Varazdin v. Sibenik (1:3)

Varazdin and Sibenik opened the 11th round on Saturday, November 7, 2020, in Varazdin. 

Juric scored two goals for Sibenik in the first half (8', 26') for 0:2 at the half. A hattrick in the 57th minute made Juric the hero of the game. Varazdin's Benko slightly reduced Sibenik's lead with a goal in the 70th minute for the final result of 1:3. 

Varazdin is currently in last place with 7 points, while Sibenik is in 5th place with 13. 

Hajduk v. Osijek (1:1)

Hajduk and Osijek met in the second match on Saturday, November 7, 2020, at Poljud stadium in Split. 

Osijek took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to a goal by Mierez for 0:1 at the half. Hajduk's Colina equalized for 1:1 in the 55th minute. Hajduk missed a last-minute penalty, resulting in a 1:1 draw. 

Hajduk is currently in 7th place with 11 points, while Osijek is in 2nd place with 20. 

Dinamo v. Istra 1961 (5:0)

Dinamo and Istra met at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb on Sunday, November 8, 2020. 

Gavranovic opened the scoring spree for Dinamo in the 6th minute, followed by a Jakic goal just before the half for 2:0. Gavranovic scored again in the 75th minute, followed by another quick goal one minute later by Orsic for 4:0 in the 76th minute. Tolic secured Dinamo's 5:0 victory with the final goal in the 87th minute. 

Dinamo is currently in first place with 26 points, while Istra is in 8th with 8. 

Rijeka v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Rijeka and Lokomotiva closed out the 11th round on Sunday, November 8, 2020, at Rujevica stadium. 

Muric scored the only goal of the match, which happened in the 17th minute from a penalty to give Rijeka the win.

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 15 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 7. 

Recall, Gorica was supposed to host Slaven Belupo on Sunday, November 8, at 19:10, though the match was postponed again due to COVID-19. 

Several members of the Koprivnica first league squad tested positive, including players and members of the professional staff, so the entire team was ordered by the competent epidemiologist to go into self-isolation until Thursday, November 12. 

Gorica thus did not play for the third round in a row, as their previous two matches were also postponed (against Rijeka and Varazdin) because of COVID-19. 

You can see the full HNL table here.

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

November 6, 2020 - In the 3rd round of the Europa League, Rijeka falls to Napoli, and Dinamo tops Wolfsberger AC.

It was the battle of the Cup winners on Thursday night, as 2020 Croatian Cup winner Rijeka held their own against the 2020 Italian Cup winner and legendary Italian club Napoli. 

Unfortunately, just like two weeks, Rijeka suffered the same fate as they did against Real Sociedad at Rujevica and was left without points.

Rijeka opened the game brilliantly against the favorites, and with aggressive pressing, they forced Napoli to make poor passes, after which they created good chances to score with quick counterattacks.

Rijeka had the first great opportunity in the 4th minute when Menalo shot well from 20 meters, but Napoli goalkeeper Meret managed to defend. However, even that was not enough to wake up the guests who came into the game quite nonchalantly, and in the 13th minute, there was a new counterattack for Rijeka. Menalo and Kulenović brilliantly combined to find Murić, who nailed the helpless Meret's net with a precise shot from the top of the penalty area for 1:0.

Unfortunately, Robert Murić had to come off due to injury in the 24th minute, an exit which greatly affected the further course of the match. With the departure of Murić, Napoli took control of the pitch, and although they did not create any likely opportunity to score, they equalized at the end of the first half. Demme scored off a Mertens assist for 1:1.

Napoli increased their pressure in the second half, which proved to be too tough for Rijeka to sustain. An own goal in the 63rd minute by Filip Braut gave Napoli the 1:2 victory. 

In the second match of the 3rd round, Real Sociedad defeated AZ Alkmaar 1:0 (0:0) with a goal by Porto (58). Thus, halfway through the competition, AZ Alkmaar, Napoli, and Real Sociedad have six points each, while Rijeka is in last with no points.

In the 4th round in three weeks, Napoli - Rijeka and AZ Alkmaar - Real Sociedad will play.

In the second match on Thursday, Dinamo scored their first goal in the 3rd round of Group K and achieved their first victory, defeating Austrian club Wolfsberger 1:0 with a goal by Atiemwen in the 76th minute, which put them at the top of the group.

Dinamo played with a man-up throughout the second half but was not particularly dangerous. However, the first victory and a total of five points in the group was secured by Atiemwen only two minutes after he entered the the pitch in the 74th minute.

Both sides had major problems with COVID-19 infected players before the match. Namely, Dinamo had nine infected players, as well as coach Zoran Mamic, who was replaced by Alen Peternac. The Austrian club had slightly less, or only eight infected players.

Dinamo played without Livaković, Petković, Stojanović, Theophile-Catherine, and Ivanušec, while Wolfsberger did not have Liendl, their best player, scorer, and captain.

In the second game of this group, Nikola Vlašić's CSKA Moscow lost 3:1 to Feyenoord.

The home team scored all three goals in just 10 minutes in the middle of the second half - Haps (63), Kokca (71), and Geertruida (72) scored. Senesi (80) reduced the lead with an own goal for the final 3:1 result.

Dinamo leads the group with five points and a goal difference of 1:0, followed by Wolfsberger and Feyenoord with four points each, while CSKA is last with two points.

In the 4th round in three weeks, Wolfsberger - Dinamo and CSKA - Feyenoord will play.

Source: Rezultati, HRT

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