The opening round of the SuperSport HNL delivered a goal fest at Aldo Drosina. Istra 1961 and Lokomotiva played out a 3:2 thriller, with the winning goal coming in stoppage time after a VAR check.
Lokomotiva kicked off the new SuperSport HNL season with a victory. On Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Aldo Drosina stadium in Pula, they defeated hosts Istra 1961 with a score of 3:2. The match featured five goals, with the winner decided by VAR in the 90th minute.
The hero for the visitors was Ivan Katić. His header from a corner in stoppage time was initially disallowed. Referee Patrik Pavlešić from Duga Resa did not award the goal, but on VAR's suggestion, he reviewed the footage. It clearly showed that the ball had fully crossed the goal line, as reported by Narod.hr.
Lokomotiva took the lead in the 26th minute. After a free kick by Marko Pajač and a poor reaction from Istra's defense, Greek forward Athanasios Triantafyllou fired a powerful shot from 12 meters past goalkeeper Franko Kolić. Istra's young squad, with an average age of just 21, did not give up. Just four minutes later, in the 30th minute, Niko Škafar Žužić broke down the left wing and cut the ball back to Emil Frederiksen, who slotted it home off the post to make it 1:1.
Only two minutes later, in the 32nd minute, the home side celebrated another goal. Seventeen-year-old Škafar Žužić struck from about 20 meters into the top right corner, seemingly completing a full turnaround. However, referee Pavlešić disallowed the goal after a VAR review. It was determined that Frederiksen was in an offside position and in the line of sight of the visiting goalkeeper Josip Posavec, thus interfering with play. Posavec had earlier, in the 13th minute, made a brilliant save to deny a dangerous shot from Škafar Žužić, preventing an early threat.
The punishment for that missed chance came in the 43rd minute. Dušan Vuković received the ball on the left side outside the box, cut inside, and from about 20 meters placed a precise shot into the bottom left corner to give Lokomotiva a 1:2 lead, which remained the score at halftime.
Istra came out attacking in the second half, and their efforts paid off in the 58th minute. Ivan Šaranić weaved through the defense and unleashed a powerful shot from about ten meters at an angle. Posavec saved, but Frederiksen was first to the rebound and tapped into an empty net for his second goal of the match, leveling the score at 2:2.
Lokomotiva's goalkeeper then made several outstanding saves to keep his team in the game. In the 72nd minute, he stopped a long-range effort from Šaranić, and in the 78th, he denied Jaganjac's attempt from inside the box. According to statistics from Narod.hr, there were 33 shots in total, with 11 on target, seven from Istra and four from Lokomotiva.
Istra 1961's new coach, 52-year-old Spaniard Javier Cabello, made his debut on the bench with a very young squad. Despite the loss, his attack-minded team played attractive football, with 17-year-old Škafar Žužić particularly standing out.
In the remaining time, Istra failed to create any serious chances for another equalizer. Lokomotiva thus opened their season with three points, while the hosts were left empty-handed despite a brave performance.
The first round of the HNL continues on Sunday, August 2, with matches between Varaždin and Hajduk, and Rijeka and Rudeš.
