Gregurina: Varaždin was better in every segment, there's a big quality gap for us
Slaven Belupo coach admitted his team was inferior in every aspect of the game and announced a more pragmatic approach for the rest of the season.
Slaven Belupo coach admitted his team was inferior in every aspect of the game and announced a more pragmatic approach for the rest of the season.
Varaždin dismantled Slaven Belupo 4:1 in Koprivnica in the second round of the SuperSport HNL, confirming a stellar start to the new season. Nikola Šafarić's side had the game wrapped up by halftime, leading 3:0, and home coach Mario Gregurina offered no excuses after the match.
"They were better in every segment of the game, and they deserve credit for that. Right now, there's a huge gap in quality; they look like a real team that has been together for two years, while we're still in the process of adapting and getting used to each other. Some are also adjusting to the city, the weather conditions, and only then to the pitch and the demands of football," Gregurina told HRT Sport.
The visitors took the lead in the 26th minute through Ivan Canjuga, and just two minutes later Luka Mamić made it 2:0. Before the break, in the 44th minute, Aleksa Latković scored to make it a massive 3:0, effectively sealing the match before halftime. Varaždin had thus found the back of the net three times in less than 20 minutes.
A glimmer of hope for the home side came from Ilija Nestorovski in the 71st minute, pulling one back to make it 1:3, but any hope of a comeback was extinguished just seven minutes later. Canjuga scored his second of the match in the 78th minute to set the final score at 4:1.
Gregurina specifically highlighted problems in the middle of the park, where the avalanche of issues began for his team. He had expected Jonsson and Adeshina to bring more energy to duels and second balls, but Varaždin dominated in that area, leaving the defense exposed.
"A lot of problems came through our midfield, so it was automatically harder for the defense to deal with certain situations. We expected Jonsson and Adeshina to give us more in duels and second balls, to compete better against Varaždin, but in the end, that didn't happen, and the defense suffered. However, I'm not making excuses for the defense; they need to react better as well," said the Slaven coach.
The situation was further complicated by the absence of Mažar, who couldn't play due to a quadriceps injury.
Despite the heavy defeat, the second in a row after Slaven Belupo lost 2:0 to Dinamo at Maksimir in the opening round, Gregurina remains optimistic. He is aware of the team's current state and hints at a possible change in approach.
"If nothing else, we know where we stand. This is our path, and I hope we'll find our rhythm as soon as possible. Maybe we'll have to be more pragmatic in some things for the time being, but I'm optimistic. Pula is a new opportunity for us to pick up points and be better," Gregurina concluded.
Varaždin thus sits on a maximum six points after two rounds with a goal difference of 6:2, while Slaven Belupo is still waiting for their first points of the new season.
