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 21, 2019 - Dinamo welcomed Rosenborg in the first round of the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday night at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb. 

In front of 27,000 fans, Dinamo already took the lead in the 8th minute when Bruno Petković nailed a penalty after being taken down in the box.  In the 28th minute, the Croatian champion increased their lead to 2:0 when a long ball by goalkeeper Dominik Livaković found the boot of Mislav Oršić, who charged the Norwegian defense and ultimately nutmegged the keeper for the goal, reports Gol.hr

Dinamo had several other good opportunities, most notably missed by captain Arijan Ademi and Nikola Moro. The Norwegian club also threatened several times, but Dominik Livaković kept a clean slate. 

The return match in Trondheim is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27. The duel at Lerkendal Stadium will begin at 9 pm.

Unless they lose by three goals, Dinamo will secure a spot in Monte Carlo on August 29 (6 pm) in the tough draw for the Champions League group stage. 

In the event they lose, the Croatian champion will move to the draw of the Europa League group stage on 30 August (1 pm), a competition the club welcomed last spring and was eliminated in the round of 16 to Benfica.

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 13, 2019 - Dinamo Zagreb met Ferencvaros in the second leg of the third round of the Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday.

Dinamo Zagreb and Ferencvaros played at the Groupama Arena in Budapest for the return game of the Champions League qualifiers. Recall, the first match played a week ago at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb ended 1:1. Dinamo, however, was much better in the first game with far more chances than Ferencvaros, though the Hungarian club’s perseverance paid off for the draw.

Both teams came out motivated, powerful, and on a mission to do only one thing on Tuesday night - win. From the first minute, Ferencvaros already had an attack which Dinamo goalkeeper Dominik Livaković saved. One minute later, Hajrović threatened the Hungarian goal. 

Both teams continued to attack, though it was Dinamo to score first. A brilliant through ball by Spanish star Dani Olmo found captain Ardijan Ademi for 0:1 Dinamo in the 16th minute. The game ended 0:1 at the half. 

It didn’t take long for Dinamo to increase their lead as an assist from Orišić found Petković for 0:2 in the 47th minute. Less than 10 minutes later, Dinamo made sure they confirmed their place in the Champions League as Dani Olmo scored for 0:3

From the 68th minute, Dinamo played with a man up as Ferencvaros player Ćivić was sent off the pitch for a double yellow. Dinamo's victory was all but confirmed.

With just over 10 minutes to go, Gojak capitalized off the deflection of Majer's rocket of a shot for 0:4. Dinamo was gifted a penalty just a few minutes before the final whistle, though Petković shanked it over the goal to keep the score 0:4 for Dinamo. 

Dinamo will now move onto the Champions League playoffs where Rosenborg, who defeated Maribor 3:1 in Norway, will be their opponent. 

Apart from the result, this game also had significant financial importance. Dinamo will secure almost 8 million euros, as UEFA gives five million euros to all clubs that participate in the Champions League playoffs. Those who are defeated in the playoffs will receive another 2.92 million euros from participating in the Europa League. Dinamo’s eventual placement in the Champions League brings 15.25 million euros. 

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. 

Dinamo Zagreb went without a win in the first leg of the third round of the Champions League qualifiers. 

Dinamo and Hungarian club Ferencvaros played 1:1 at Maksimir in the first leg of the third round of the Champions League qualifiers. In front of 15,000 spectators, the goalscorer for Dinamo was Spanish star Dani Olmo while David Siger equalized for Ferencvaros, reports Gol.hr on August 6, 2019.

Already in the 3rd minute, Dani Olmo threatened Ferencvaros with a shot from 16 meters out, but goalkeeper Dibusz was on his toes to make the save. However, in the 7th minute, Oršić and Olmo’s extraordinary attack resulted in Dinamo's lead. Oršić played Dani Olmo, who then nutmegged Siger and nailed the corner of the Ferencvaros goal. In the 45th minute, Hajrović’s attempt for a goal was defended, and Ademi's header flew by the goal post.

The Hungarian club was much more determined in the second half and equalized in the 59th minute thanks to their first dangerous attack towards Dinamo's goal. Nguen shot on goal, which was defended by Livaković from about ten meters, though Siger capitalized on the deflection and nailed the Dinamo goal. Some of Dinamo's defenders managed to get the ball out, but the referee estimated that the ball had crossed the goal line.

In the 65th minute, Dinamo had an incredible opportunity when Hajrović hit the post from nine meters out. In the 81st minute, Olmo shot from just outside the penalty area, which was denied by the goalkeeper,  and Gavranović failed to capitalize on the deflection. 

The return match between these two clubs is scheduled for Tuesday, August 13, at the Groupama Arena in Budapest.

Since Dinamo did not manage to win against Ferencvaros in front of their fans, the decision on who will move forward will fall in Budapest. 

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. 

Dinamo Zagreb topped Georgian club Saburtalo both home and away to move to the next round of Champions League qualifications.

Dinamo overcame Georgian club Saburtalo 3:0 in the return match of the second Champions League qualifying round on Thursday, and thus went 5:0 overall to advance to the third qualifying round against Hungarian club Ferencvaros, reports Gol.hr on July 30, 2019.

In the first match in Tbilisi, Dinamo won 2:0, though the return match was much harder for the Zagreb club than expected. Not only did they have to play behind closed doors thanks to a UEFA ban, but the Georgian club had three great chances in the first half which could have potentially shocked the Croatian champion. 

Fortunately, Mislav Oršić cleared any doubts in the 77th minute for 1:0, while Bruno Petković confirmed the Dinamo victory in the 89th minute for 2:0. Interestingly, Oršić and Petković were also the goalscorers in Tbilisi. In the last moments of the match, Spanish superstar Dani Olmo also scored in his first appearance this season for the 3:0 win. 

Dinamo will play against Ferencvaros in the third qualifying round. The Hungarian club beat Valletta 3:1 in their first match in Budapest, while they finished 1:1 in Ta'Qali. 

The first match is scheduled for Tuesday in Zagreb, followed by the return match in Budapest.

Dinamo hosted Saburtalo behind closed doors as they served a UEFA punishment for using pyrotechnics, blocking the stairs and racist behavior during last season's match against Benfica. Dinamo received a two-game ban, though one game is conditional and will be activated if Dinamo is punished again within a two-year period.

For the fifth time in the history of the club, Dinamo played in front of empty stands and achieved their second victory.

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.