Rijeka beat Ilves 1:0, but coach Matjaž Kek did not hide his dissatisfaction with the finishing. The return of Niko Janković and the arrival of Branko Pavić stand out as major gains, but the question remains whether Jakov Puljić can be the one to solve the problems in attack.
Although Rijeka defeated Finnish side Ilves 1:0 at Rujevica in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the Conference League, complete satisfaction was missing. The fourth consecutive win of the season, again by a narrow margin, left a bitter taste as the Rijeka players failed to capitalize on their significantly better play, especially in the first half.
The hero of the evening was Niko Janković, who brilliantly scored from about 20 meters in the 16th minute. His shot ended up in the top left corner of the goal guarded by the excellent Faris Krkalić. This 24-year-old goalkeeper, who spent nearly seven years at Dinamo, was the main reason the Finnish team returns home with a minimal deficit. It was certainly Krkalić's best match of his career.
Coach Matjaž Kek had already emphasized his dissatisfaction with his team's attacking efficiency before the match. Rijeka is perfect this season, but all four wins (twice against Derry City 1:0, Rudeš 2:1, and Ilves 1:0) were achieved by a narrow margin.
"We have to be more decisive and aggressive in the opponent's penalty area; you have to feel that immense desire to score a goal," Kek said.
After the Ilves match, the tone was no different.
"It was another game in a row with many created chances, and instead of winning convincingly, we left question marks for the return leg. Those missed chances make us insecure; we lacked that finishing, we lacked energy, 'hunger and blood' to push that ball into the goal," Kek said.
In solving this problem, great hopes are placed in the return of Jakov Puljić. A true goal-scorer, who last season playing for the weak Vukovar scored as many as 17 goals and was the second top scorer in the SHNL. Against Ilves, he got the last 20-odd minutes, playing with a face mask as he recovers from a broken nasal bone. Although he didn't have a clear chance to score, Kek can certainly expect goals from such a player.
A major gain this season is certainly the return of Niko Janković. He spent the spring on loan at Slovan from Bratislava, where he scored one goal in 15 matches. Although the contract stipulated he would stay until winter with a buy option of four million euros, Janković felt he wasn't in coach Yaya Touré's plans and wanted to return. Slovan gave him the green light. Janković left in February because former Rijeka coach Victor Sanchez "didn't see him," even though he had extended his contract three months earlier. Kek wanted him back immediately upon his return to Rujevica and now trusts him completely.
Another player deserving attention is 19-year-old defensive midfielder Branko Pavić. He came to Rujevica from Dinamo in the winter and is definitely a reinforcement. A native of Zagreb and a product of Dinamo's academy, Nenad Bjelica gave him a chance in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund two and a half years ago. Despite his youth, Pavić shows maturity, is responsible and technically strong, and against Ilves he also rattled the crossbar with a long-range shot. Letting such a player go, especially in the deficient position of defensive midfielder where Dinamo is looking for an alternative to Josip Mišić, could be one of the bigger misses from Maksimir.
Rijeka travels to Tampere with a one-goal advantage and has shown in every way that they are the better team. However, football is played for goals, and it's a pity that a much better impression wasn't rewarded with a more convincing victory that would bring calm. The return leg also brings the challenge of artificial turf.
"We will have to adapt to Ilves's artificial turf as soon as possible. You have to adapt, and whoever adapts will be more successful. And we can and must, regardless of the surface, play at a higher level in Tampere than in the first match," Kek concluded.
