September 19, 2022 - The 10th round of the SuperSport HNL was played from September 16 to 18, 2022. This round saw Dinamo take another 3 points, while Hajduk sits behind in 2nd with 11 points less and a game in hand. Here is our SuperSport HNL round 10 recap. 

Slaven Belupo v. Varazdin (1:0)

Belupo and Varazdin opened the 10th round on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Koprivnica in front of 913 fans. 

Crnac scored the only goal of the match in the 37th minute for 1:0. The match otherwise saw 4 yellow cards to the Varazdin team. 

Belupo is currently in 3rd place with 17 points, while Varazdin is in 5th with 15. 

Gorica v. Osijek (0:1)

Gorica and Osijek met on Saturday, September 17, 2022, in Velika Gorica in front of 492 fans. 

Grzan scored for the Osijek lead and win in the 19th minute for 0:1. The second half saw Raspopovic receive a straight red card in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. 

Gorica is currently in 10th place with 5 points and a match in hand, while Osijek is in 4th with 15 points. 

Hajduk v. Istra 1961 (2:2)

Hajduk and Istra met on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Poljud Stadium. 

After a scoreless first half, Livaja put Hajduk ahead for 1:0 in the 47th minute. Just five minutes later, Erceg equalized for 1:1. Boultam put Istra ahead in the 64th minute, before Livaja scored his second goal of the match for 2:2 in the 88th minute. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 17 points and a game in hand, while Istra is in 6th with 12 points. 

*Hajduk and Rijeka also played their 2nd round makeup match on Wednesday last week, which Hajduk won 2:0. 

Rijeka v. Sibenik (0:0)

Rijeka and SIbenik met at Rujevica on Sunday, September 18, 2022. 

Rijeka's goal in the 43rd minute was disallowed after consulting VAR, keeping the game 0:0 at the half. Neither team was able to score in the second half. 

Rijeka is currently in 9th place with 6 points, while Sibenik is in 7th with 10 points, 

Lokomotiva v. Dinamo (1:2)

Lokomotiva and Dinamo closed out the 10th round on Sunday, September 19, 2022, in Zagreb. 

Ademi scored early for Dinamo to make it 0:1 in the 6th minute. Kulenovic equalized 7 minutes later for 1:1 in the 13th minute. Petkovic opened the second half with a goal for 1:2 in the 47th minute,e which was the final score. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 9 points, while Dinamo is in first with 28. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

September 12, 2022 - The 9th round of the SuperSport HNL was played from September 9 to 11, 2022. The biggest match of the 9th round was played between Rijeka and Osijek, resulting in a 0:3 loss for Rijeka at home. Here is our SuperSport HNL round 9 recap. 

Sibenik v. Hajduk (1:1)

Sibenik and Hajduk opened the 9th round on Friday, September 9, 2022, in Sibenik. 

Mlakar was the first to score for Hajduk in the 20th minute though it was called offside after consulting VAR. Mlakar got his chance again in the 49th minute off a Livaja assist for 0:1 Hajduk. It looked like Hajduk was going to win it until Dolcek had other plans, scoring in the 7th minute of stoppage time for 1:1. 

Sibenik is currently in 7th place with 9 points, while Hajduk is in 4th with 13 points and two games in hand. 

Rijeka v. Osijek (0:3)

Rijeka and Osijek met on Saturday, September 10, at Rujevica Stadium. 

Osijek scored first in the 25th minute, but it was disallowed for a handball after VAR. Mierez scored for 0:1 Osijek just 10 minutes later, and Caktas made it 0:2 another 10 minutes after that. Caktas completed the result in the 63rd minute for the final 0:3. 

Rijeka is in 10th place with 5 points and a game in hand, while Osijek is in 5th with 12 points. 

Gorica v. Dinamo (0:1)

Gorica and Dinamo met on Saturday, September 10, 2022, in Velika Gorica. 

After a scoreless first half and most of the second, it looked as if the two teams would draw. Dinamo, however, found a way to score, with Orsic finding the back of the net in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for 0:1. 

Gorica is currently in 9th place with 8 points and a match in hand, while Dinamo is in first with 25 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Istra 1961 (0:3)

Belupo and Istra met on Sunday, September 11, in Koprivnica. 

Belupo suffered their second consecutive defeat after an impressive run in the first 7 rounds. Petkovic scored for 0:1 Istra in the 10th minute and Erceg for 0:2 in the 29th. Boultam made it 0:3 in the 67th minute, which was the final score.  

Belupo is currently in 3rd place with 14 points, while Istra is in 6th with 11. 

Lokomotiva v. Varazdin (1:2)

Lokomotiva and Varazdin closed out the 9th round on Sunday, September 11, in Zagreb. 

Teklic missed a penalty or Varazdin in the 29th minute keeping the match at 0:0 at the half. Teklic did score for 0:1 in the 51st minute before Maric made it 1:1 in the first minute of stoppage time. Teklic scored in the 5th minute of stoppage time to give Varazdin the win. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 9 points, while Varazdin is in 2nd with 15 points. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

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 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 12, 2022 - British betting group Entain has announced that it intends to buy 75 percent of SuperSport - the largest Croatian betting company and the title sponsor of the strongest class of Croatian club football - for 920 million euros. 

SuperSport, which has a sponsorship contract with the Croatian Football Federation, and after which the strongest rank of domestic football, i.e., the national cup, is called, is the largest Croatian sports bookmaker. With a 54 percent market share and strong growth in the last five years, it is the market leader, reports Jutarnji List. 

SuperSport was founded by Danko Ćorić, has been operating on the Croatian market since 2000, and currently has 321 branches, half of which are in Zagreb, Split, and the surroundings of Croatia's two largest cities. It is necessary to add its online betting offer to the network of SuperSport branches because online betting is becoming more and more common, and in 2019 it was additionally regulated in Croatia by banning the provision of online sports betting services to companies that are not based in Croatia. They have about 900 employees.

In May this year, they signed a contract worth 44 million euros with the Croatian Football Federation and Hrvatski Telekom on distributing television and marketing rights to the First Croatian Football League. In addition, SuperSport has committed to investing eight million euros for the marketing and betting rights of Prva HNL from 2022 to 2026. From this season, the First HNL is called SuperSport HNL.

In 2020, Supersport achieved 131 million euros in gross revenue from games and an underlying profit of 65 million euros. The work is expected to be completed in the last quarter of this year and will depend primarily on regulatory approvals. Radim Haluza, CEO of SuperSport, should then join the board of Entain.

Since 2018, SuperSport has been owned by the Czech SAZKA Group. Shortly after the takeover of SuperSport, there was a split and division of assets between two entrepreneurs, Karel Komarek and Jiri Šmejc. After the split with Komarek, SuperSport belonged to Šmejc, i.e., his company EMMA GAMMA Adriatic. Šmejc is one of the largest Czech entrepreneurs in terms of income, the number of companies he owns, and the businesses he covers. At the beginning of his business development, he collaborated with Peter Kellner, until his untimely death in March of last year, the largest businessman in Central Europe whose wealth was estimated at 17.5 billion dollars.

Since 2012, when he became independent, Šmejc has acquired companies, in addition to sports betting and gambling, in energy, financial services, and e-commerce, among others. In addition to business cooperation, Šmejc and Kellner also shared a common passion - flying airplanes. 

To make the best use of the opportunity in the mentioned geographical area, the Entain group has partnered with EMMA Capital, an investment company based in the Czech Republic. EMMA was previously part of the Sazka Group - owners of Allwyn - which recently won the next UK Lottery license and was the sole owner of SuperSport. Entain and EMMA Capital entered into a partnership and founded Entain CEE, which will own SuperSport. In the newly established Entain CEE, 75% of the shares will be held by Entain and 25% by EMMA.

Central and Eastern Europe represent a very attractive and growing betting market - the estimated value of which is five billion euros. They also recognized this potential in Entain and believe it will grow at least 10% annually until 2025. Entain said that in Central and Eastern Europe, in the context of betting, so far, local operators have largely dominated, who "often fought to increase or consolidate across the region, thus providing a convincing opportunity for Entain."

"I look forward to joining Entain and further building on this region's significant opportunity. EMMA's investment expertise combined with Entain's world-class platform will give us a competitive advantage in providing opportunities," said Haluza.

The Times writes that Entain's purchase is part of a strategy to target more than 50 regulated markets - with a combined betting industry revenue of $40 billion - where it has yet to establish a presence. The company also announced four other transactions by the end of the year, including the purchase of Dutch Avid Gaming for EUR 206 million and BetCity for EUR 850 million. A turning point in their business occurred when Jette Nygaard Andersen (53) became the executive director of Entain - in 20 months of her managing the company, nine new deals were concluded.

"We are excited to have created Entain CEE with EMMA, to support our strategy throughout the Central and Eastern European region, and to have acquired a leading betting and gaming operator in the highly attractive and fully regulated Croatian market. We see Croatia as an exciting, dynamic country, from which Entain CEE is perfectly positioned for expansion," said Nygaard-Andersen on the occasion of the latest acquisition.

Entain, formerly GVC Holdings, operates in 31 countries and employs more than 25 thousand workers in 20 offices on five continents. Last year they had revenues of £3.9bn with an operating profit of £480m.

For more on business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

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 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 18, 2022 - The new Croatian football season opened on July 15 after a month of preparations. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 1 results. 

Dinamo v. Lokomotiva (3:2)

Dinamo and Lokomotiva opened the first round on Friday, July 15, at Maksimir Stadium in front of 4,320 fans. 

Kulenovic and Ibrahim put Lokomotiva ahead by two goals by the 22nd minute, though it didn't last long. Dinamo subbed on Drmic, who scored two goals in the next 10 minutes for 2:2 at the half. Maric was shown a red card in the 78th minute, forcing Lokomotiva to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. Menalo scored in the 91st minute for the final 3:2 Dinamo. 

Dinamo is currently in 2nd place with 3 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 0. 

Osijek v. Gorica (2:1)

Osijek and Gorica met on Saturday, July 16, at City Garden Stadium in front of 3,590 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, Beljo scored for 1:0 Osijek in the 62nd minute. A Loncar own goal made it 1:1 four minutes later. Beljo put Osijek back in the lead for 2:1 with a penalty in the 74th minute. Lokomotiva's Julardzija was shown a red card in the 86th minute.

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 3 points, while Gorica is in 7th with 0. 

Sibenik v. Rijeka (0:1)

Sibenik and Rijeka met in Sibenik on Saturday, July 16, in front of 1,678 fans. 

The first half went without goals, and the match's only goal came in the 74th minute when Obregon scored for 0:1. 

Sibenik is currently in 8th place with 0 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 3. 

Varazdin v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Varazdin and Slaven Belupo met in Varazdin on Sunday, July 17. 

The match's only goal came in the 49th minute when Kocijan scored for 0:1 Belupo. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 0 points, while Belupo is in 5th with 3. 

Istra 1961 v. Hajduk (0:2)

Istra and Hajduk closed out the first round in Pula on Sunday, July 17. 

Interestingly, it was announced before the match that the VAR system was out of order because there was no electricity in the VAR room, meaning the match would go on without using VAR. 

Melnjak scored Hajduk's first goal for 0:1 in the 43rd minute. Livaja increased Hajduk's lead to 0:2 off a header in the 60th minute. 

Istra is currently in last place with 0 points, while Hajduk is in first place with 3 points. 

*Rijeka and Hajduk will not play in the 2nd round next weekend as Rijeka asked that the match be postponed due to Conference League obligations. 

You can see the standings HERE.

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