September 27, 2019 - The 9th round of the Croatian First League was held from September 27 to 29, 2019. This round saw big wins for Dinamo, Osijek, and Rijeka. Dinamo is now only one point behind Hajduk, who sits at the top of the table.

Lokomotiva v. Dinamo (0:4)

Lokomotiva and Dinamo opened the 9th round at Kranjčevićeva Street Stadium in Zagreb on Friday, September 27, 2019, in front of 2,983 fans. 

Kadzior opened the scoring spree for Dinamo with a goal in the 10th minute for 0:1, which was the score at the half. 

Olmo and Orsic scored in the 58th and 59th minute for 0:3, while Gavranovic secured Dinamo’s victory with a goal in the 74th for 0:4. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 14 points, while Dinamo is in 2nd with 19. 

Varazdin v. Rijeka (0:2)

Varazdin and Rijeka met on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at NK Varteks stadium in front of 1,946 fans. 

Rijeka scored both goals in the first half - Pereira in the 12th minute and Halilovic in the 36th minute. Varazdin’s Djurasek was shown his second yellow in the 69th minute, forcing Varazdin to play with ten men for the rest of the match. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 7 points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 18. 

Slaven Belupo v. Osijek (0:4)

Belupo and Osijek met on Saturday, September 28, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 703 fans. 

Mance (’25), Maric (’35), and Lepa (’41) scored for Osijek in the first half for 0:3. Skoric secured Osijek’s shutout with a goal in the 71st for 0:4. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 16. 

Inter Zapresic v. Gorica (0:2)

Inter and Gorica met on Sunday, September 29, 2019, at ŠRC Zaprešić Stadium in front of 553 fans. 

Cabraja scored in the 31st minute for 0:1 at the half.  Zwolinski increased Gorica’s lead in the 57th minute for 0:2, which was the final score of the game. Gorica also played a man down from the 53rd minute after Marina was shown his second yellow. 

Inter is currently in the last place with 6 points, while Gorica is in 5th place with 15. 

Istria v. Hajduk (1:1)

Istria and Hajduk closed out the 9th round on Sunday, September 29, 2019, in Pula in front of 4,569 fans.

Hajduk’s Caktas scored in the 35th minute for 0:1 at the half. Loncar equalized for Istria in the 80th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Istria is currently in 8th place with 9 points, while Hajduk remains in first place with 20. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

September 23, 2019 - The 9th round of the Croatian First League was held from September 20 to 22, 2019. The 9th round brought a big upset to Dinamo, saw the coaches of Rijeka and Osijek leave their posts, and Hajduk now sits clear in first place by 3 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Osijek opened the 9th round on Friday, September 20, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva Street Stadium. 

While Osijek’s Maric scored in the 7th minute for 0:1, Halilovic equalized for Lokomotiva in the 37th minute for 1:1 at the half. 

Tolic increased Lokomotiva’s lead for 2:1 in the 88th minute, giving Lokomotiva the win in the end. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 4th place with 14 points, while Osijek is in 5th with 13. 

Slaven Belupo v. Gorica (2:0)

Belupo and Gorica met in Koprivnica on Saturday, September 21, 2019. 

Steenvoorden put Belupo in the lead with an own goal in the 29th minute for 1:0 at the half. After Cabraja was shown a red card in the 85th minute, Belupo’s Krstanovic scored a penalty to increase the lead to 2:0, which was how the game ended. Gorica ended the game with nine men after Lovric was shown a second yellow in the 91st. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 10. 

Varazdin v. Dinamo Zagreb (1:0)

Varazdin and Dinamo met in Varazdin on Saturday, September 21, 2019. 

After a shocking 4:0 win against Atalanta to open their Champions League season, Dinamo suffered a defeat in the Croatian League to a team that was promoted from the second division this season. 

While the first half went without goals, Guera scored for Varazdin in the 62nd minute, which was the final score of the game. 

Varazdin has moved from the last place to 9th place with 7 points,  while Dinamo is in second with 16. 

Hajduk v. Inter Zapresic

Hajduk and Inter met at Poljud on Sunday, September 22, 2019. 

In addition to celebrating 40 years of Poljud, Hajduk celebrated another win. 

Caktas put Hajduk in the lead with a penalty in the 41st minute for 1:0 at the half. The second half saw two goals in three minutes - Stanko Juric scored for 2:0 Hajduk just moments after he entered the game, which was followed by Serderov’s goal for Inter. 

In the 86th minute, Jairo scored for 3:1 Hajduk, which was the final score of the game. 

Hajduk currently sits in first place with 19 points, while Inter is in the last place with 6. 

Istra v. Rijeka

Istria and Rijeka closed out the 9th round on Sunday, September 22, 2019, in Pula. 

Franko Andrijasevic scored for Rijeka already in the 6th. Minute, which was followed by a Loncar goal in the 45th for 0:2 at the half. Ivancic saw two yellow cards in the first half, forcing Istria to play a man down for the remainder of the game. 

Muric increased Rijeka’s lead to 0:3 in the 77th minute, which was the final score of the game. 

Istria is currently in 8th place with 8 points, while Rijeka moved into third place with 15 points. 

You can see the full HNL table here.

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

September 19, 2019 - Croatia and Hungary will meet at Poljud Stadium next month for a crucial Euro 2020 qualifier. The City of Split and HNS sat down at Poljud on Wednesday to discuss the details. 

Slobodna Dalmacija and Gol.hr report that a five-hour marathon meeting was held on Wednesday at Poljud on the topic of the upcoming Croatia-Hungary match, which will be played on Thursday 10 October. The media learned at 3 pm on Wednesday that everything is going according to plan, and that they are moving to the City Administration where they will finalize the contract they had not yet signed.

Just after 10 am, executive chairman Marijan Kustic arrived at the head of a large HNS delegation, including Vlado Iveta, Niksa Martinac, Zoran Cvrk, and female representatives and match managers Helena Pushkar and Antonia Burazer, who runs the VIP.

“What are the points in the contract? The organization of the match, the items that HNS is taking over, that is what we spoke about. There is no controversy, but there are a lot of details, a lot of points, so everything took five hours,” Kustic said pleased after the meeting.

Is Hajduk still not participating in the organization of the match?

“I’d be the happiest if they chose to participate. But, we are negotiating with the City and signing a contract with them,” Kustic added.

Split Mayor of Andro Krustolovic Opara was only at the beginning of the meeting to welcome the HNS delegation to Poljud, before hurrying back to the City Administration. Thus, the details were agreed by Mate Omazic and Domagoj Maroevic, and Kustic was to join Opara at the City Administration later. 

"It is important that the people and services work and cooperate and look for the best model for this to be a win-win situation," said Split Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara. Recall, Dalmatinski Portal reported that the message ‘Opara liar - choose a side' welcomed the Split Mayor in front of Poljud Stadium on Wednesday. 

While some might think the most important win would entail qualifying points, the victories the mayor speaks of is normalizing relationships in Croatian football - and with Hajduk specifically. 

"I want both Hajduk and HNS to come to the situation they announced two months ago, and I believe we are on the right track," Opara added.

"The items that HNS itself is taking over are in regards to the organization, and they are taking over some of the things that we have discussed. But in the end, we agreed on everything," he said.

Thus, the return of the Croatia national team and 2018 World Cup finalists to Poljud in Split goes its course. Tickets will be on sale from Monday and run between 100 to 250 kuna. In responding to media reports, Kustic does not believe that ticket prices are unusually high (up to 250 kuna on the day of the match). 

Recall, the match at Poljud on October 10 is the return of the national team to Split for the first time since 2015. The World Cup finalists last played at Poljud in 2015 against Italy behind closed doors. Before that, they met Georgia in 2011. Both matches were played as qualifiers for the European Championships, in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

Croatia is on the verge of qualifying for the Euro once again, and every four years the national team seems to arrive back in Split.

This will be the 13th ever match played in Split, at Poljud Stadium, since Croatia gained independence. 

The meeting on Wednesday was the second of such a gathering at Poljud.

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

September 18, 2019 - The City of Split and the Croatian Football Federation met at Poljud Stadium on Wednesday to discuss the technical details of organizing the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifier between Croatia and Hungary. 

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that the Croatian Football Federation and the City of Split should take a new step towards hosting the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifier between the national teams of Croatia and Hungary, which will be played on October 10 at Poljud. The meeting likely focused on the organization of the match.

It is necessary to emphasize that Hajduk is not involved in the organization of this match, that is, until HNS has shown serious signs towards normalizing their relationship. Recall, Hajduk previously presented their seven requirements to the umbrella football organization, which they expected to be fulfilled as a prerequisite for eventually becoming involved in the organization of this European qualifier.

Certain processes have been initiated, like the meeting in Dugopolje recently been held with HNS and the County Federation, but the results are nowhere near tangible. Thus, Hajduk will continue to hold off from jumping in on the organization of the national team match, which is here in just three weeks.

At 10:15 am Wednesday morning, an HNS delegation led by executive president Marijan Kustic and Zoran Cvrk arrived at Poljud. The representatives of the City of Split, led by Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara, followed.

What we know thus far is that the main topic of the meeting would be to harmonize the technical details. However, some Croatian media unofficially reported that no contract had yet been signed to play the match between Croatia and Hungary at Poljud. This formality was expected on Wednesday or in the coming days.

While we await the details from the meeting, Dalmatinski Portal reported that the message ‘Opara liar - choose a side' welcomed the Split Mayor in front of Poljud Stadium on Wednesday. 

Dalmatinski Portal / N.M.

Recall that Croatia and Hungary will plat at Poljud on October 10, which is the return of the national team to Split for the first time since 2015. The World Cup finalists last played at Poljud in 2015 against Italy behind closed doors. Before that, they met Georgia in 2011. Both matches were played as qualifiers for the European Championships, in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

Croatia is on the verge of qualifying for the Euro once again, and every four years the national team seems to arrive back in Split.

This will be the 13th ever match played in Split, at Poljud Stadium, since Croatia gained independence. 

The meeting on Wednesday is the second of such a gathering at Poljud.

More details soon.

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

September 16, 2019 - After an international break, the 8th round of the Croatian First League was held from September 13 to 15, 2019. The highlight of this round was the Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk. 

Dinamo v. Istria 1961 (1:0)

Dinamo and Istria met on Friday, September 13, 2019, to open the 8th round at Maksimir stadium in front of 2,700 spectators. 

The first half went without goals, though Gavranovic gave Dinamo the lead, and ultimately the win, after scoring in the 53rd minute for 1:0. 

Dinamo is currently in 2nd place with 16 points,  while Istria is in 7th with 8. 

Inter Zapresic v. Slaven Belupo (3:1)

Inter and Belupo met on Saturday, September 14, 2019, in Zapresic. 

All of the action in the game came in the second half after Serderov scored for the Inter lead in the 47th minute. Nowak equalized for Belupo just two minutes later for 1:1. 

Inter was unable to score again until the last minutes of the game, when Mlinar scored in the 87th for 2:1, and Mamut in the 3rd minute of added time for the final score of 3:1. 

Inter is currently in 9th place with 6 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 7. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (0:0)

Gorica and Lokomitiva met on Saturday, September 14,  2019, in Velika Gorica. 

Since neither team was able to score, the game ended 0:0. Brazilian Sammir, former Dinamo player and once a member of the Croatia national team, made his debut back on Croatian soil, this time for Lokomotiva, entering the game for Tolic in the 66th minute. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 12 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 11. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (2:2)

Osijek and Varazdin met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, September 15, 2019. 

Osijek was already up by two goals at the half thanks to Maric (’26) and Silva (’42). What seemed like a sure victory for Osijek was crushed after Varazdin managed two goals to equalize in the final minutes of the game - Djurasek scored in the 89th for 2:1, and Lisakovich in the second minute of added time for 2:2. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 13 points, while Varazdin is in the last place with 4. 

Rijeka v. Hajduk (1:1)

The Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk closed out the 8th round on Sunday, September 15, 2019, at a nearly sold out Rujevica stadium.

Rijeka was the first to score in the 31st minute for 1:0 at the half, though Hajduk’s young blood Teklic scored the equalizer in the 78th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. This derby was also unique as it featured the return of Filip Bradaric and Franko Andrijasevic. Recall, both players were brought up in the Hajduk academy and played for Hajduk's first team, before playing together at Rijeka when they won the 2016/2017 season. 

Hajduk remains in first place with 16 points, while Rijeka is in 4th place with 12 points. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

September 12, 2019 - Poljud Stadium, one of Split’s most famous landmarks and the home of football club Hajduk Split, opened exactly 40 years ago today for the VIII Mediterranean Games in 1979.

24 Sata reports that Poljud Stadium was built following the project of prominent Croatian architect Boris Magas in 1979 for the needs of the VIII Mediterranean Games, after which it became the home of Hajduk Split. The stadium, known as "The Poljud Beauty”, is interesting because of its architectural composition -  its seashell-like design gives views of the nearby hills, sea, and islands, and was modeled after ancient Greek theaters.

The first football match at Poljud was played three days after the opening, but the attendance record was set in 1982 when there were between 55,000 to 60,000 people at the Split stadium. However, since there was no counter at the time, the exact number is based on speculation. The official capacity of Poljud is about 35,000 people.

Numerous sports and other events have taken place at Poljud, which are still held today. From the games of Hajduk to the Croatia national team, music festivals like Ultra, and concerts of Croatian singers, this building has seen it all.

Unfortunately, architect Boris Magas died in 2013, though some six years later, Hajduk hosted his grandson Bartol Pavusek and thanked him for his work and the efforts of his grandfather.

Although it is still one of the most beautiful stadiums in Croatia, many problems plague the 'Poljud beauty'.

At the time of its construction, Poljud’s comfort, unique roof structure and appearance was unsurpassed even in Europe, and because of this, in 2015, it was included in the list of protected cultural assets of the Republic of Croatia.  However, the passing of time and poor maintenance have left their mark.

Some say that Poljud’s roof structure is on the verge of collapsing, which resulted in various suggestions, one of them being that instead of the existing Lexan panels,  solar panels would be set up to generate electricity and collect rainwater to irrigate the pitch. The investment would pay off in 10-15 years, but, as usual, paperwork and money got in the way. 

In the last few years, Hajduk has made several interventions on rehabilitating and maintaining Poljud, with an investment of almost 40 million kuna. In 2019, a traffic light was repaired, in 2018, the damaged pitch from Ultra was changed, and two auxiliary terrains were built. A year earlier, the dressing rooms and all the facilities, such as the gym, first aid room, and fitness room were updated. Previously, the main pitch was drained and irrigated, and counters, barriers, and video surveillance were introduced. 

You can visit Poljud next to see Hajduk face Inter Zapresic and Varazdin, or wait until October for the highly anticipated Euro 2020 qualifier between the Croatia national team and Hungary. 

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

September 2, 2019 - Hajduk held a press conference on Monday afternoon led by the club president Marin Brbić. 

Already before the derby against Dinamo, Poljud announced a press conference for the last day of the summer transfer deadline. At the conference, the club's president Marin Brbić confirmed that Darko Nejašmić has extended his contract and that World Cup finalist Filip Bradarić was returning to the club on loan, reports the club's website and Gol.hr.

"Darko Nejašmić extended his contract until June 2023. The only exception to what I said earlier is Filip Bradarić, he is a Croatian national team player with extensive experience, coming on loan until the end of the season. I will also say that we are in the negotiation phase with a striker,” Brbić said.

Former Hajduk player and Croatia national team player Filip Bradarić arrives on loan from Serie A club Cagliari, where he fell out of favor. Bradarić returns to Hajduk after four years. Recall, the player was sold to Rijeka where he became the captain.

“This is a really emotional moment for me, after five years I'm finally coming home. I'm going back to Hajduk, my club, my city... I made my first football steps there and my heart is finally in place. I followed Hajduk all the time, I believe I can help this team and I hope we can do great things together. I can't wait to put on my holy jersey again and play for Hajduk,” said Bradarić from Italy, who will arrive in Split on Tuesday morning.

“We went into the last hours of the transition period, which was very long and arduous, I think we have to be satisfied, my humble opinion is that we have done quality within the deadline. There is still the question of strikers and small exit transfers, especially the loan of young players,” said sports director Saša Bjelanović.

The attacker in question is allegedly a Peruvian attacker of Croatian descent, Ivan Bulos, who plays at Boavista in Porto.

Bjelanović confirmed that Ivan Strinić will not return to Hajduk.

''We don't even have to discuss the qualities of Ivan, but in that position, we brought in two young players for whom we invested big money. By bringing Čolina and Dolček, we decided to take that path, and we have to look at the financial dimensions.''

Brbić wanted to make something else clear.

"We announced the press conference before Dinamo because we want to make it clear that one game, whether it was a derby, is not crucial. The championship is a marathon; we are running to win,and the main goal is to enter the Champions League qualifications. The goal is to bring in young players who are national team players who can improve the club and move forward and increase value. Like it or not, we have to market players."

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

September 2, 2019 - The 7th round of the Croatian First League was held from August 30 to September 1, 2019, and featured the highly anticipated ‘Eternal Derby’ between Hajduk and Dinamo. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (6:1)

Lokomotiva and Belupo opened the 7th round of the Croatian First League at Kranjčevićeva Street stadium in Zagreb in front of 732 fans. 

Lokomotiva opened the game with two goals in the first half by Tolic and Kastrati for 2:0. Though the home team’s scoring spree was far from over. Cokaj increased Lokomotiva’s lead in the 46th minute for 3:0, followed by another goal by Kastrati in the 50th for 4:0. Fortunately, Belupo was able to get one goal in the 56th minute (penalty), which made the game 4:1. Drozdek, however, increased Lokomotiva’s lead to 5:1 in the 61st and Petrak scored Lokomotiva’s last of the game in the 80th minute for the final score of 6:1. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 10 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 7. 

Hajduk v. Dinamo (1:0)

Hajduk and Dinamo met at Poljud on Saturday, August 31, 2019, in front of 29,359 fans for the first ‘Eternal Derby’ of the season. 

While the first half showed Dinamo’s strength, Hajduk was a new team in the second and spectators experience a true derby atmosphere. It wasn’t until the 56th minute when we saw the first and only goal of the game, which came from a stellar Jradi header over the top of Livaković’s head for 1:0 Hajduk. Diamo’s Dilaver was given a red card in the 75th minute, which was followed by the second yellow for Hajduk’s Jradi. Both teams finished the game with 10 men. The derby went without any major incidents, though two of Dinamo’s assistant coaches were also shown red cards in the second half. 

Hajduk is currently first on the table with 15 points, while Dinamo is in 2nd with 13. 

Istra 1961 v. Osijek (0:0)

Istra and Osijek met on Saturday, August 31, 2019, at Aldo Drosina stadium in Pula in front of 1,956 fans. 

The game went without any goals and ended at 0:0. 

Istra is currently in 7th place with 8 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 12. 

Varaždin v. Gorica (1:3)

Varaždin and Gorica met on Sunday, September 1, 2019, at VK Varteks Stadium. 

Gorica’s Lovric was the first to score in the 20th minute for 0:1, though Benko came back to equalize in the 37th minute for 1:1 at the half. 

However, Gorica retook the lead thanks to another Lovric goal in the 57th minute, and a hat trick for Lovric increased Gorica’s lead to 1:3, which was the final score of the game. 

Varaždin is currently in the last place with 3 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 11. 

Rijeka v. Inter Zaprešić (1:1)

Rijeka and Inter closed out the 7th round on Sunday, September 1, 2019, at Rujevica stadium in front of 3,529 fans. 

Inter was awarded a penalty already in the second minute of the game, which put the guests up 0:1. Rijeka equalized in the 31st minute thanks to a goal by Gorgon. Neither team was able to score in the second half, and the game ended 1:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 11 points, while Inter is in 9th place with 3. 

You can see the full table here. 

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

August 31, 2019 - On Saturday at 6:30 pm, the 7th round of the Croatian First League will feature the first derby this season between Dinamo and Hajduk. The two teams will meet at Poljud for what is known around the world as the ‘Eternal Derby’. 

It is a chance for Hajduk to reach the top of the standings after 1399 days, with the first victory against Dinamo at Poljud after 1259 days, reports Index.hr.

About 30,000 fans have been announced for the match, making it an ideal opportunity for Hajduk to get a crucial win in front of their fans. Dinamo fan group Bad Blue Boys are also arriving in large numbers, who will be escorted by police from Dugopolje at 4 pm and accompanied to the stadium.

The last time Hajduk celebrated against Dinamo they were led by coach Damir Buric, their coach currently. It was on March 20, 2016, and the winning goal for Hajduk was scored in the 4th minute by Fran Tudor, a footballer who is no longer a member of Hajduk after his contract expired this summer.

"Today, it is worth the same thing. We know how good the opponent is, but we also know what we can do. We have to bring the quality we showed in previous games," Buric said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

However, Hajduk welcomes Dinamo without Ismajli, Edouk, Posavac, and Juric.

"Their absences have disturbed us a little. Juric is out thanks to a broken bone he didn’t even know he had. We will give those a chance who have not played a lot so far. We hope that Juric and Posavac will be ready for Rijeka. We cannot wait for the match against Dinamo. We don't have a chance to play the Champions League, but now we're going to see how we stand compared to a team playing in the Champions League."

Jakolis returns after suspension for exclusion, will he get a chance?

“I feel sorry for the guy because he is a player who plays with his heart and puts everything into the match. That was the case when he was expelled in Koprivnica. I think it was unfair to him and that exclusion was too strict. For every game, we have a plan. We know what lies ahead, and the most important thing is to design our game,” Buric said.

Dinamo coach Nenad Bjelica also spoke ahead of Saturday's game. 

“We expect to win, as always, no matter what stadium or who we play against. Hajduk has played very well in their last two games at home, defeating Lokomotiva and Gorica 3:0. A difficult task awaits us, but I think we are ready. We have recovered from the match against Rosenborg, as you know we have a very wide bench, we are probably going to use all of it and show our true face,” said the Dinamo coach, who was then asked if he dreamed more about Hajduk’s Caktaš or Kevin De Bruyne. 

"Neither," laughed Bjelica, and spoke about Hajduk's best player. "Mijo was the best goal scorer last season. We respect him very much. He can handle the game with a single action. We will have to pay attention to him and keep him in control from inside the box. But there are other dangerous players in Hajduk, like Jairo, and we will need maximum concentration to win."

With such a deep bench, we can certainly expect a change in Dinamo’s lineup compared to the match in Trondheim earlier this week, but Bjelica did not want to go into detail.

"We will see after training, and we will practice somewhere around Split. There certainly will be. Hajduk is always motivated against Dinamo, they will be carried by a full Poljud, but we have played in such atmospheres in Budapest and Trondheim, where there were also full stadiums with a great atmosphere, and we came out unscathed. I believe we will succeed in Split as well."

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

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.