Bessone after victory in Gorica: We have changed the mentality

Osijek opened the new HNL season brilliantly with a win away to Gorica, and coach Frederic Bessone did not hide his satisfaction after the match. However, he is aware that this is just the beginning and that the real challenge lies ahead, keeping the team at the same level in the coming rounds.

Convincing performance in the first round

The Blue-Whites completely outplayed the hosts on Saturday, and Bessone emphasized that they had prepared excellently for the match. "The boys understood everything from the start. We had a high press, we won second balls, and then we managed to threaten dangerously by breaking out of that zone," said the Argentine coach after the game.

Although the scoreline did not fully reflect their dominance, the coach was realistic. "It's true that we should have been leading by three or four goals by the end of the first half, but that's football. You can't always play well and score goals," he added. He is particularly pleased with the change in the players' approach, which has been one of the main goals since his arrival on the bench.

"I'm happy because we managed to change the mentality; that's what was missing last season when it turned out we had problems. But we managed to change it, and I'm very happy and proud of the team," said Bessone.

Youngsters and new signings shine at the start

Osijek played in Gorica with a squad that underwent reconstruction, but the core remained the same as last year. The coach sent out players who were already in the squad, along with a few reinforcements like Dolček and new signings including Balela and Bukvić. The latter stood out in the central midfield role with plenty of freedom, while young Kolarik and Ježić played as if they had 50 HNL appearances behind them.

Particularly interesting is the case of Armando Leon, a player dubbed the "false Mierrez" who arrived without high expectations. It is precisely such moves by the sporting director and a coach who can "invent" a player that could be key in a league where only 1.55 million euros were spent on transfers this season. Most of that amount was spent by Dinamo on two players, while for comparison, the Czech league saw 27 million euros spent on incoming transfers.

Next challenge: Rudeš and repeating the scenario

After the celebration in Velika Gorica, Bessone now faces his first real test, bringing the team back down to earth and preparing them for the next match. "Next week we have the same scenario, just with a different team. We'll rest a bit after this because this is a very important win for us. Then on Monday we'll start preparing for another trip to Velika Gorica to play similarly to today," the coach concluded.

Osijek will also play away in the next round, with Rudeš as the opponent. Although they are a new and certainly not yet well-drilled opponent, it will be important to quickly break down the defensive block they will surely set up. Rudeš showed against Rijeka that they are hard to break down, but also that they can create dangerous situations, though they were inaccurate and didn't seriously threaten.

Fans provide a boost

Kohorta also gave Osijek an extra boost. The fan group gathered in respectable numbers in Velika Gorica and set the rhythm for their team throughout the match. There is no doubt it will be the same next Saturday, so Osijek will practically play in front of home fans again, which should not be underestimated.

Bessone has shown he can lift the team and change the mentality that was missing last season under Simon Rožman. Back then, the team played well in the opening rounds, but points were lacking and everything quickly fell apart. That is why it is now crucial to pick up points, even if the play is not always at the level of the first round. No one will hold that against the coach, and it is precisely in such situations that a team's character and winning mentality are built.