Osijek Hailed as a Hit, Hajduk Subject of Irony
Rijeka opened the new SuperSport HNL season with a win over Rudeš, and Croatian fans shared their impressions of the clubs' first performances in comments on Net.hr.
Rijeka opened the new SuperSport HNL season with a win over Rudeš, and Croatian fans shared their impressions of the clubs' first performances in comments on Net.hr.
The new SuperSport HNL season officially kicked off, with Rijeka defeating top-flight returnees Rudeš 2:1 at their stadium in Rujevica. The match brought the first three points of the season to the Kvarner side, continuing a successful week following their European victory over Derry City.
Scorers for the home side were Justas Lasickas and Daniel Adu Adjei. For the visitors, Stefan Vukić found the net, scoring his first goal after coming off the bench to soften the blow of defeat for his team.
Rijeka's coach, Matjaž Kek, did not hide his satisfaction with the points after the match but also highlighted the demanding schedule his team faced over the past week. "The only goal was that victory and getting into rhythm for some players who still have issues. We had chances, and when you score, you're calmer and can rotate. You saw the rest for yourselves. I congratulate the players; we've had a tough week behind us, with matches, travel, and that impossible temperature difference," Kek said.
Alongside the match itself, fans on the Net.hr platform commented on the overall impression of Croatian clubs at the start of the season. Osijek stood out in particular, with one commenter calling them the most pleasant surprise. "For me, Osijek is a hit! I watched the match, everything was top-notch," wrote Vlatko Rebekić.
On the other hand, Hajduk once again drew a dose of irony from their followers. "In Hajduk, it seems, everything is as usual. You get used to it over the years," said Goran Gooc. Sandi Maltar-Brico shares a similar view, believing history repeats itself: "Every year, the same story: summer brings dreams of the title, and the championship reminds you that matches are played on the pitch."
Some fans also expressed regret over Varaždin's European exit. Commenter Armin briefly assessed that everything so far is "standard," with "a bit of sadness because Varaždin didn't advance further in European competitions."
The first round of the new season brought a mix of optimism and well-known stories from Croatian pitches. While Rijeka and Osijek inspire hope, some fans of the Split club are already expressing resignation, and Varaždin's focus will now be solely on domestic challenges.
