The Blue-Whites opened the championship with two convincing away victories and a goal difference of 8:1, with Nail Omerović confirming his excellent form with a hat-trick. They will welcome their first home match at the top of the table.
If someone had planned the season opener at Opus Arena, they couldn't have devised a better plan. Osijek started the championship with two convincing victories, both in play and in score, both achieved away from home, with over 20 shots on the opponent's goal. With a goal difference of 8:1, the Blue-Whites will surely be first on the SuperSport HNL table when they begin their first home match of the season.
Nail Omerović, after scoring three goals against Rudeš, marking his second career hat-trick, has shown he is in excellent scoring form. Armando Leon has proven he isn't just similar to Ramón Mierez in appearance; he aims to surpass the impact of that famous Argentine with his actual contributions on the pitch. Arnel Jakupović also returned to scoring after nearly a six-month hiatus.
Osijek has had stronger generations in the past, but we don't recall an HNL away match being played this dominantly. The end result was one of the most convincing away victories in the league for the Blue-Whites, with only the 7:0 win against Radnik from Velika Gorica in the 1993/1994 season being larger. At one point during the match against Rudeš, it seemed that this nearly 30-year-old record could be broken.
The Blue-Whites started the match against Rudeš more cautiously, but Federico Bessone's team gave them only ten minutes of hope before they took control of the game.
The first goal came in the 12th minute, and by the end of the first half, Osijek was already leading 4:0. The scene from the 45th minute best illustrates the new character of this team. The match was already decided, and three Blue-White players, Omerović, Leon, and Bukvić, were pressing high on the Gorica defender who had the ball, because they desperately wanted to win possession in a dangerous area and try to score a fifth goal.
Coach Bessone was particularly pleased with the second half. "At the beginning, we didn't feel comfortable, but in such situations, the most important thing is that the team remains composed enough and doesn't concede an early goal," commented the Blue-Whites' strategist for Sportske novosti.
He then added: "I enjoyed the second half more; we had it completely under control, created more chances than in the first half, and we were very good."
Osijek was quite an unknown quantity before the season started, and Bessone has revealed a spark in the team that no one knew how much it could achieve. Although last season might lead some to think otherwise, they haven't forgotten how to play football; in fact, they now enjoy the game, trust their coach, and believe in what they are doing.
Fans couldn't have received a better invitation ahead of this season's premiere at Opus Arena and the match against Lokomotiva. "We must continue like this; even before the start of preparations, we said how we want to play. I'm really looking forward to playing at home, in front of our people, our fans, and I hope to win three more points," Bessone stated.
Sporting director Kenneth Zandvliet highlighted his main goal on his first day of work. "I want to see a difference in our play, that people enjoy it, and I want to at least double the number of spectators compared to last season because that will mean we are on the right track," Zandvliet said. Two months later, fans can enjoy the Blue-Whites' play, and now it's their turn to respond.
