September 5, 2022 - The 8th round of the SuperSport HNL was played from September 2 to 4, 2022. The biggest match of this round was the derby between Dinamo and Rijeka, where we witnessed Rijeka's struggle this season continue as they sit at the bottom of the table. Here is our SuperSport HNL round 8 recap. 

Dinamo v. Rijeka (3:1)

Dinamo and Rijeka opened the 8th round on Friday, September 2, 2022, at Maksimir Stadium in front of 5,894 fans. 

Lauritsen scored for 1:0 Dinamo in the 28th minute, just two minutes before Spikic scored for 2:0. It was 3:0 for Dinamo in the 60th minute when Orsic scored his second goal. While all hope was lost for Rijeka by now, Vlasenko found the back of the net in the 84th minute for the final 3:1. 

Dinamo is currently in first place with 22 points, while Rijeka is in last place with 5 points and one game in hand. 

Varazdin v. Gorica (2:1)

Varazdin and Gorica met on Saturday, September 3, 2022, in front of 2,263 fans in Velika Gorica. 

Teklic assisted Elezi for 1:0 Varazdin in the 10th minute, while the same player scored in the 43rd minute for 2:0 at the half. Juric came back with a Gorica goal for 2:1 in the 61st minute. Sego was shown a straight red card in the 74th minute, while Juric was shown his second yellow in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. 

Varazdin is currently in 4th place with 12 points, while Gorica is in 9th with 5 points and a game in hand.

Osijek v. Sibenik (1:1)

Osijek and Sibenik met on Saturday, September 3, 2022, at City Garden Stadium in front of 2,944 fans. 

Kleinheisler put Osijek ahead for 1:0 in the 38th minute. Burgui equalized in the 78th minute for the final 1:1. 

Osijek is currently in 6th place with 9 points, while Sibenik is in 7th with 8. 

Istra 1961 v. Lokomotiva (1:2)

Istra and Lokomotiva met on Sunday, September 4, 2022, at Aldo Drosina Stadium in Pula. 

Pivaric put Lokomotiva ahead for 0:1 in the 24th minute. Istra's goal in the 36th minute was called offside after consulting VAR. Gorican scored for 0:2 in the 66th minute. Erceg got one goal back for Istra for the final 1:2 in the 81st minute. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 8 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th with 9. 

Hajduk v. Slaven Belupo (5:1)

Hajduk and Slaven Belupo closed the 8th round on Sunday, September 5, 2022, at Poljud Stadium. 

Hoxha put Belupo in the lead just two minutes before halftime for 0:1. Mlakar scored the equalizer for Hajduk in the 51st minute, before Hoxha was shown his second yellow in the 56th minute and thus forced Belupo to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. Colina scored for 2:1 Hajduk in the 60th minute and Atanasov for 3:1 in the 77th. Nikola Kalinic scored Hajduk's final two goals - in the 81st and 3rd minute of stoppage time for the final 5:1. 

Hajduk is currently in 3rd place with 12 points and two games in hand, while Belupo is in 2nd with 14 points. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 29, 2022 - The 7th round of the SuperSport HNL was held from August 26 to 28, 2022. The most exciting match of this round was the Osijek-Hajduk derby at City Garden Stadium, in which Osijek took 3 points. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 7. 

Gorica v. Istra 1961 (0:2)

Gorica and Istra opened the 7th round in Velika Gorica on Friday, August 26, 2022. 

After a scoreless first half, Erceg's goal was disallowed in the 70th minute after consulting VAR. Erceg found the back of the net just 11 minutes later to put Istra in the lead with 0:1. Erceg scored again in the 4th minute of stoppage time for the final 0:2 for Istra. 

Gorica is currently in 9th place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Istra is in 6th place with 8 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Lokomotiva and Slaven Belupo met in Zagreb on Saturday, August 27, 2022. 

The first half was full of yellow cards as Belupo was shown three and Lokomotiva one, though the match went into halftime without goals. The match's only goal came in the 80th minute when Kocijan scored for 0:1, which was the final result. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 6 points, while Belupo is impressively in 2nd with 14. 

Rijeka v. Varazdin (1:2)

Rijeka and Varazdin met at Rujevica Stadium on Saturday, August 27, 2022. 

Another scoreless first half was quickly changed at the start of the second when Djouahra put Rijeka ahead in the 47th minute. Pavlovic was shown his second yellow in the 73rd minute, forcing Rijeka to play with a man down for the rest of the match, and Teklic equalized a minute later from the penalty spot. Kolaric made it 1:2 for Varazdin in the 87th minute, and it could have been 1:3 if Peric's goal was not called offside in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. 

Rijeka has dropped to last place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Varazdin is in 4th place with 9 points. 

Sibenik v. Dinamo (1:2)

Sibenik and Dinamo met in Sibenik on Sunday, August 28, 2022. 

Ivanusec put Dinamo ahead in the 35th minute for 0:1. Mina equalized just two minutes later for 1:1 at the half. A penalty taken by Petkovic put Dinamo back in the lead in the 68th minute, which was the final score. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 7 points, while Dinamo sits in first place with 19. 

Osijek v. Hajduk (2:1)

Osijek and Hajduk closed out the 7th round at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, August 28, 2022. 

It was an emotional game for Hajduk as Marko Livaja learned of his father's tragic passing early on Sunday morning. Leovac scored Osijek's first goal in the 23rd minute for 1:0, before Beljo scored a penalty for 2:0 just 4 minutes before halftime. Livaja scored a penalty for Hajduk to reduce the score to 2:1 in the 72nd minute. Mlakar's goal was called offside by VAR in the 83rd minute, and the match ended 2:1 for Osijek. 

Osijek is currently in 5th place with 8 points, while Hajduk is in 3rd place with 9 points and two games in hand. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 15, 2022 - The SuperSport HNL 5th round was held last weekend, bringing some surprising results - especially amongst the traditionally top clubs. And we're not only talking about the Eternal Derby. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 5. 

Sibenik v Istra 1961 (0:0)

The 5th round opened on Friday, August 12, 2022, at Stadion Šubićevac in front of 1296 fans. 

This match wasn't too exciting to watch, as it finished without goals. Sibenik had eight shots compared to Istra's 9, while Sibenik held 44% possession to Istra's 56%. Sibenik committed 17 fouls to Istra's 7. 

Sibenik is currently in 5th place with 6 points, while Istra is in last place with 6 points. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (3:2)

Gorica and Lokomotiva played the next match on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Radnik Stadium in Velika Gorica.

A bit more exciting than Friday's game, Vasij put Lokomotiva ahead for 0:1 in the 9th minute, which was the result at the half. Kalik equalized for 1:1 in the 60th minute before Fruk made it 2:1 six minutes later. Da Cruz made it 3:1 for Gorica in the 79th. Five minutes later, Tuci scored for the final 3:2. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Lokomotiva is in 4th with 6. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (4:1)

Dinamo and Hajduk met for their first big derby of the season on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Maksimir Stadium. Fourteen thousand three hundred one fans were in attendance. 

After continuous pressure from Dinamo in the first half, Hajduk went ahead thanks to Livaja and Atanasov, who scored in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for 0:1 Hajduk. And then things went downhill for the Split club, especially after coach Valdas went in with fresh legs in the defense. Dinamo was up 2:1 with goals by Baturina and Ademi in the 61st and 64th minutes. Gojak made it 3:1 in the 84th minute, and Orsic 4:1 in the 90+1'. 

Dinamo sits in 1st place with 13 points, while Hajduk sits in 3rd with 8 points but two games in hand. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (2:2)

Osijek and Varazdin met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

After a scoreless first half, Jugovic made it 1:0 for Osijek in the 57th minute and Brodic 1:1 eight minutes later. Beljo put Osijek back ahead in the 77th minute for 2:1, and Peric made it 2:2 in the 81st. 

Will Osijek coach Nenad Bjelica finally get sacked? With unimpressive results round after round, his sacking seems inevitable. Croatian media reported on Monday morning that Nenad Bjelica would sit down with the president of Osijek, Ferenc Sakalje, to negotiate the best option for parting ways. 

Osijek is currently in 7th place with 5 points, while Varazdin is in 8th with 5. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Rijeka and Belupo closed the 5th round on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at Rujevica Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, Crnac scored for Belupo in the 70th minute, giving Belupo a massive three away points and pushing Rijeka to the bottom of the HNL table in second to last place. 

Rijeka is currently in 9th place with 4 points and one game in hand, while Belupo is in 2nd place with 8 points. 

You can see the HNL standings here. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August the 14th, 2022 - Maersk has set up a Rijeka-Czech Republic service connecting this former industrial Northern Adriatic city and the town of Paskova in the Czech Republic.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the first direct freight, container and rail service from Rijeka to the Czech Republic has now been established, connecting the Port of Rijeka via the container terminal at Brajdica with the town of Paskova near Ostrava in the far east of the Czech Republic.

Emmanuel Papagiannakis, executive director of Jadranska vrata, which manages the Brajdica terminal, emphasised that the Czech market is one of the most important in all of Europe.

"Currently, we have several regular weekly block trains from Rijeka to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary, from where we're also connected to Slovakia," he said, stressing that the company appreciates Maersk's initiative to start this new Rijeka-Czech Republic service, and that direct rail connections have also been achieved as a result.

Papagiannakis pointed out that the new Rijeka-Czech Republic service confirms the increasing importance of the Adriatic Sea for the markets of Central and Southeastern Europe.

Maersk's rail service was launched back in May this year, and runs up to twice a week. The rail service is operated by CD Cargo Adria, a subsidiary of the Czech cargo operator CD Cargo, the largest provider of rail transport services in the Czech Republic and one of the main rail operators on the trans-European network corridor which includes the countries of Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Poland, and now, the Republic of Croatia.

The company Jadranska vrata (Adriatic Gate Container Terminal - AGCT) is a public-private partnership, in which International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has a 51 percent share, and the Port of Rijeka has a 49 percent share.

In the period from 2011, when the company became part of the ICTSI corporation, which invested more than 50 million dollars in the modernisation of the terminal, to 2021, it handled two million container units (TEU) at the Brajdica container terminal, and about 70 percent of its volume now comes from outside of the borders of Croatia - from Central and Southeastern Europe.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

August 8, 2022 - The SuperSport HNL 4th round was held from August 5 to 7, 2022. This round was without the originally scheduled Hajduk and Gorica match, as Hajduk requested a postponement due to Conference League obligations. And it wasn't a good weekend for Croatia's top clubs, Dinamo, Osijek, and Rijeka. A look at SuperSport HNL round 4. 

Varazdin v. Dinamo (1:1)

Varazdin and Dinamo opened the 4th round in Varazdin on Friday, August 4, in front of 7,132 fans. Dinamo went into the match coming off of a 2:1 win against Ludogorets in the Champions League qualifiers earlier in the week. 

The Croatian champion was the first to score with a goal from Spikic just before the ref blew the whistle to end the first half. But former Hajduk player Sego made sure they didn't stay ahead, scoring the equalizer in the 63rd minute for 1:1 and the final result. 

Varazdin is currently in 8th place with 4 points, while Dinamo sits in first with 10 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (0:0)

Belupo and Sibenik met in Koprivnica on Saturday, August 5, in front of 473 fans. 

The match was uneventful, displayed in the 0:0 final result. 

Belupo is currently in 5th place with 5 points, while Sibenik is in 4th with 5 points. 

Istra 1961 v. Osijek (1:0)

Istra and Osijek met on Saturday, August 6, in Pula. 

Tensions are already high among Osijek supporters who have been calling for coach Nenad Bjelica to be sacked. Losing to Istra on Saturday did not help. 

Istra scored first in the 62nd minute when Bakrar found the back of the net, though his goal was ultimately called offside after consulting VAR. But that didn't stop Bakrar from killing Osijek's hopes again with a goal in the match's final minutes (90+4') for the 1:0 Istra win. Coach Bjelica has yet to resign, nor has he been asked to step down as coach by the club. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 3 points, while Osijek is in 6th with 4. 

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (3:1)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka closed out the 4th round on Sunday, August 7, in Zagreb. 

Lokomotiva took the lead in the 14th minute when Gorican scored for 1:0, and Cokaj made it 2:0 just five minutes later. Karrica gave Rijeka some hope in the 34th minute scoring for 2:1, but Vasilj settled all doubts about the winner with Lokomotiva's goal in the 79th minute for the final 3:1. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 3rd place with 6 points, while Rijeka is in 7th with 4. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (Postponed)

Hajduk asked to postpone their 4th-round match against Gorica due to Conference League obligations. After beating Vitoria at Poljud on Thursday 3:1, Hajduk plays the return match against the Portuguese club on Wednesday in Portugal. Hajduk has played only two rounds in the SuperSport HNL thus far, as Rijeka postponed their 2nd round match against Hajduk due to Conference League obligations. 

As it stands now, Hajduk is in 2nd place with 6 points and only two games played, while Gorica is in the last place with 2 points and three games played. 

You can see the HNL standings here. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 29, 2022 - Not the best night for Croatian football as Rijeka and Osijek were both eliminated from the Conference League in the 2nd qualifying round. A look at what happened on Thursday night. 

Rijeka

After Djurgarden celebrated 2-1 at Rujevica, the Swedish club beat Rijeka in the return match 2-0 (0-0), which concluded Rijeka's European dream in this season's Conference League 2nd qualifying round. 

Rijeka played better than in the first match, especially in the first 45 minutes in Stockholm, but it was too little to advance in the end. Djurgarden crushed Rijeka in the second half when both goals were scored. Hien scored in the 55th minute and Banda in the 84th minute.

The first half was aggressive on both sides, yet both teams were cautious, and Rijeka looked more determined compared to the first match at Rujevica.

Ampem and Frigan were the biggest threat to Djurgarden. In the 25th minute, Prince Ampem scored with his head. However, the Rijeka player was offside, and the goal did not count. Real chances on both sides were few and far between. 

Djurgarden opened the second half much better and scored in the 55th minute for 1-0. In the 84th minute, Emmanuel Banda made the final 2-0, which secured Djurgarden's spot in the next round. 

Osijek

Later that evening, Osijek played their Conference League 2nd qualifying round return match at home against Kazakhstani club Kyzylzhar SK. Osijek won 2-1 away in the first match.

Giorgi Ivaniadze scored for Kyzylzhar in the 61st minute and Moussa Kone in the 71st minute.

Osijek was a much better opponent in the first half and threatened the goal on several occasions. However, Kyzylzhar had the only possible chance in the first half in the 10th minute.

Everything changed in the 61st minute when Kyzylzhar unexpectedly took the lead. Ivaniadze scored just one minute after entering the game.

The conceded goal did not wake up Osijek. Ten minutes later, Kyzylzhar scored a second goal and secured the next round of the competition. 

After the second goal, Osijek coach Nenad Bjelica threw all his cards into the attack, introduced Beljo and Mance, and with three attackers, tried to score a goal that would take the match into extra time. However, even though there were more than 20 minutes left, Osijek did not create a likely scoring opportunity and deservedly said goodbye to Europe this season.

Nejašmić's incomprehensible own goal at the end of the first match when Osijek was leading 2-0 came back to haunt them. 

But there is still some hope for Croatian clubs. Hajduk will play in the 3rd qualifying round next week against the winner of Puskas Akademia and Vitória de Guimarães.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 25, 2022 - SuperSport HNL round 2 was held from July 22 to 24, 2022. The 2nd round only included four games as Rijeka asked to postpone the Adriatic Derby against Hajduk due to Conference League obligations. Here's our SuperSport HNL round two recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (1:2)

Istra and Varazdin opened the 2nd round in Pula on Friday, July 22, 2022. 

While the first half went without goals, Marin put Istra ahead in the 70th minute for 1:0. Brodic equalized 7 minutes later for 1:1, before Postonjski gave Varazdin the lead and ultimate win in the 83rd minute for 1:2. 

Istra is currently in the last place with 0 points, while Varazdin is in 6th with 3. 

Gorica v. Sibenik (0:0)

Gorica and Sibenik met on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Velika Gorica. 

The first half went without goals, and Kalik's goal in the 83rd minute was eventually called offside after consulting VAR. The match ended at 0:0. 

Gorica is currently in 8th place with 1 point, while Sibenik is in 9th with 1. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (1:5)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Saurday, July 23, 2022, in Koprivnica in front of 2613 fans. 

Marina missed a penalty for Belupo in the 2nd minute of the match, which was redeemed with a goal in the next play for 1:0 Belupo in the 2nd minute. Baturina scored 6 minutes later to equalize at 1:1. Orsric put Dinamo ahead in the 15th minute for 1:2 and Drmic five minutes after that for 1:3, which was the score going into halftime. And Dinamo wasn't finished yet. Misic made it 1:4 in the 74th minute, and Spikic 1:5 in the 90th, which was the final score. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 3 points, while Dinamo upped their goal differential this round to sit in first place with 6 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Osijek closed out the 2nd round on Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Zagreb. 

Kleinheisler put Osijek in the lead in the 16th minute, which was the result at halftime. Osijek also had a goal called offside by VAR in the 50th minute. Boskovic equalized for Lokomotiva in the 80th minute for 1:1 before scoring again for 2:1 six minutes later, which was the final score. 

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

Recall that Rijeka and Hajduk did not play the Adriatic Derby in the 2nd round as planned after Rijeka asked for the game to be postponed due to Conference League obligations. The two teams will make up the 2nd round match when they have a free term. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 23, 2022 - Ever wondered about the train ride from Split to Rijeka? A look at the travel options between Croatia's second and third largest cities. 

Croatia is a tourist country, where around 20 percent of the national budget depends on income from tourism. Despite this, the traffic connection between Split and Rijeka, the second and third largest cities in the Republic of Croatia on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, is very poor.

Foreign tourists or Croatian citizens who want to travel from Split to Rijeka during the summer have limited options.

The first option is, of course, traveling by car. For those who do not go to the sea by car, there is only one more option: the bus. The fastest bus ride from Split to Rijeka takes about seven hours. You don't go on the highway, which would take 2-3 hours less, but it would cost more because of tolls.

So, what about the train? A search on the Croatian Railways website shows that the train journey from Split to Rijeka takes between 22 and 29 hours, with a minimum of one transfer. Allow us to repeat - if you want to travel by train from the second largest Croatian city to the third largest Croatian city, it can take more than a day - 29 hours, writes Index.hr.

For comparison, a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok takes six days, covering 9,289 kilometers. Split is slightly more than 400 kilometers from Rijeka, or 416 kilometers, according to Google Maps. A Trans-Siberian Railway train covers about 64 kilometers in one hour, while a Croatian Railways train covers an average of about 14 kilometers in one hour on a full-day journey from Split to Rijeka. No wonder it takes a whole day if you decide to travel from Split to Rijeka by train.

Regarding air transport, there is no direct route from Split to Rijeka. It was operated by Trade Air, but the Ministry of Transport did not extend its contract in time. As a result, they stopped flying on the Split - Rijeka route at the end of April this year.

The official Trade Air website states that they hope to connect Split and Rijeka (as well as Osijek and Pula, etc.) by air again from August 15 of this year.

It is also worth noting that the Split - Rijeka flight is a PSO line. PSO stands for Public Service Obligation. This program enables countries within the European Union to co-finance airlines for flights that are not always directly commercially profitable but are of public importance.

And what about by sea? There is no longer a night ferry line that connects Split and Rijeka, on which the famous Marko Polo ferry used to travel. The Jadrolinija Rijeka - Dubrovnik line was discontinued in 2015.

Index asked Jadrolinija why:

"The decision to cancel the Rijeka - Dubrovnik line was first made in 2012 by the then Government due to the constant decline in passenger and vehicle traffic, which was caused by the construction of highways to the south, which made vehicle journeys to destinations in Dalmatia significantly shorter, so the line recorded fewer passengers. In 2015, the line was discontinued," Jadrolinija said. 

However, it seems that this could change.

"Given all the circumstances and the development of highways, cooperation with the Maritime Faculty on a study on redefining the line is underway. Jadrolinija primarily maintains state lines connecting the islands with the mainland, and currently, there is no Rijeka - Split line maintained by Jadrolinija," Jadrolinija revealed.

"Croatia, as a tourist destination, is well connected to the most important markets, both by road and by air, i.e., airlines, and there are also shipping lines as a link by sea," says HTZ.

They also add that this is one of the essential prerequisites for attracting foreign guests, whose pleasant and quality stay requires a good transport infrastructure and connections within the destination, that is, the country where they are staying. The above applies to domestic tourists as well.

"Namely, with the quality transport connections of Croatian cities, we can further encourage our guests to discover other destinations and increase tourist consumption," says HTZ. 

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

July 22, 2022 - Osijek and Rijeka played the first leg of the Conference League 2nd qualifying round on Thursday night. 

Osijek beat Kazakhstani club Kyzylzhar 2-1 (0-0) away in the first match of the Conference League 2nd qualifying round. Osijek went into the match as favorites, which is confirmed by the fact that they are six times more valuable than Kyzylzhar.

In the Kazakhstan championship so far, Kyzylzhar played 15 games with only three wins, six draws, and the same number of losses with a goal difference of 15:20.

Osijek thus achieved their first away European victory after five years with goals in the second half. Mihret Topčagić scored a header in the 58th minute, while Laszlo Kleinheisler headed into the net in the 76th to make it 2-0. In the 84th, an incredible own goal was scored by Darko Nejašmić for the final 2-1 Osijek. Osijek even scored a third goal at the very end of the match, but it was disallowed as it was called offside. 

The return match will be played in Osijek next Thursday. 

Rijeka played later Thursday night in the Conference League 2nd qualifying round at Rujevica against Swedish club Djurgarden. Rijeka, unfortunately, lost 1-2 to Djurgarden.

Djurgarden has already played 14 rounds of the domestic championship compared to Rijeka, who have only played the first round of the Croatian championship against Šibenik.

Rijeka started well and took the lead with a goal by captain Haris Vučkić in the 13th minute, but Hampus Finndell equalized in the 38th minute, and Victor Edvardsen, who assisted the first goal, brought a complete turnaround and victory for Djurgarden in the 54th minute. 

The second leg in Stockholm is scheduled for next week. 

Recall, in the first leg of the Champions League 2nd qualifying round, Dinamo and Shkupi drew 2:2 at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb on Tuesday. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 18, 2022 - Hajduk, Osijek, and Rijeka learn their possible opponents in the Conference League 3rd round qualifiers beginning early next month. 

In the Conference League 3rd round qualifiers, Hajduk Split will play against the winner of the match between Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães and Hungarian club Puskas Akademia.

Hajduk enters the hunt for its first European autumn after more than a decade and will have a difficult task ahead. Vitória de Guimarães finished sixth in the championship, and the team is full of young internationals - their average age is 23.6. According to Transfermarkt, the value of the team is estimated at 42 million euros, which is slightly more than Hajduk (41.4 million euros).

The last time they competed in Europe was in the 2019-2020 season when they were eliminated in the Europa League group stage.

Vitoria's best player is the young 22-year-old Andre Almeida, who is already a sought-after commodity on the market. Transfermarkt values him at 5 million euros, and reportedly Wolverhampton has already sent an offer of almost 10 million euros for the midfielder.

Puskas is the easier opponent, as several players have left the club, including new Hajduk player Toni Borevković.

The Hungarian club is much smaller than Vitoria, and Transfermarkt estimates them at 12.3 million euros. Jakov Puljić stands out among the better players. They finished third in the championship, 17 points behind Ferencvaros.

Puskas is also known for its fantastic stadium, the Pancho Arena, which was built in 2014 and accommodates 3,816 fans at total capacity.

Osijek and Rijeka could also play in the same stage of the competition if they are successful in the 2nd qualifying round.

If Osijek beats FC Kyzylzhar in the 3rd qualifying round, they can face Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv or APOEL from Cyrpus. On the other hand, if Rijeka knocks out Swedish club Djurgården, they will play against Romanian club Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe or Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana in the next round of qualifications. 

Hajduk will be the host in the first game, and the second leg will be played away, while Osijek and Rijeka will be guests in the first games, and the second legs will be played at home.

The first matches will be played on August 4, and the second leg on August 11.

Conference League 3rd qualifying round
Hajduk - Vitória de Guimarães (Portugal) or Puskas Akademia (Hungary)

Botev Plovdiv (Bulgaria) or APOEL (Cyprus) - Osijek

Sepsi (Romania) or Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) - Rijeka

Dinamo Zagreb also learned their possible opponent in the Champions League 3rd qualifying round and the Europa League 3rd qualifying round.

If Dinamo wins against North Macedonian club KF Shkupi, they will play against the winner of the match between Ludogorec and Shamrock Rovers in the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League.

If they advance to the 3rd preliminary round, Dinamo will play the first match away on August 2 or 3, while the return match will be played at Maksimir a week later.

If they lose against Shkupi, Dinamo will continue their European journey in the 3rd qualifying round of the Europa League, where they will play against the losers from the same pair, Ludogorec - Shamrock Rovers.

The first match of the Europa League 3rd round qualifiers will be played on August 4, and the second week later, on August 11.

Source: Gol.hr

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