In a recent poll on the CroatianSports.com Twitter, we asked which club are favorites to win the 2024 HNL league title. This question was asked following Rijeka’s 2-1 victory over Hajduk at Poljud this past weekend.
Hajduk and Rijeka are tied atop the league table on points with Dinamo trailing both by four points with a game in hand. Hajduk edged out Rijeka by 4% in the poll, but for all intents and purposes, all three clubs are locked in a dead heat from the public’s perspective.
As of today, who is the favorite to win the league this year? And what is your reasoning?
I’m guessing this question asked is for the Hajduk fans on this site?
If Riejka wins their neighborhood derby this weekend, my money’s on them to win the title. Many more matches to go but they look strong front to back.
All right I’m off. Sretan vikend, braco moja!
On je pametan
Interesting… just realized Ljubicic has scored a goal in each of his last 4 appearances for the U21s, with the last one being the matchwinner in the 1-0 win over Belarus.
Nigdje nema ljepseg grada
od Rijeke nase
zapjevajmo pjesmu svome Gradu
i dignimo case
LASK lost 2-3 at home to RB Salzburg in the Austrian Cup quarter-final.
Marin Ljubicic scored an equalizer for 1-1 in the 18th min and played the full 90. He is on a 3-match scoring streak for his club (not counting friendlies).
Sucic played the full 90 while Simic came on in the 57th min.
I was hoping one of our young strikers would score this weekend so Marin made it happen. Let’s see if Beljo or Frigan can get on the board too.
Musa coming stateside? Oh well, for sure I didn’t see that coming. Hope he enjoys Dixie and scores a ton. That’s the only way he can earn a recall to the national team and maybe even a good move back to Europe.
So many Debela Downers here. Here is another way to spin it.
Kova and Gvardiol get quality mins with the reigning Champions League Champs and one of the top teams in England.
Modric is still pulling the strings in CM for the best team in La Liga
Brozo is fit and healthy and will have no challenges running in the heat this summer.
Majer has improved under Kovac
Kramaric still performing
Pasalic is doing well at Atalanta as of late.
I could go on but my point is you can’t teach grizzled veterans experience when they already have it. This group shows up when it matters.
Rijeka will win the league and Pjaca and Pasalic will be in form subs for the repka come summer.
Lastly, Musa gets 2 seasons now to showcase his ability to play week in and out. Sure its a lesser league but if you have played the game you know confidence comes with minutes and goals. IF he can bag goals and gain goal scoring confidence a top 5 league team will come for him when he is 27. What is the problem with that? Or he busts. Either or its a good move for him to get goals and gain confidence. His size will always make him attractive if he is in form.
Biuk and Musa are not in the same conversation. Have a great weekend!!!
Yeah, with Perisic nursing a knee injury and Ivanusec in doubtful form for Feyenoord, I think we might need Pjaca on the roster this summer.
Orsic was somewhere in Asia at that age or even later I think
There is hope for musa still
Yes it’s not so easy but the cream will always rise
Well said Turtle brother.
Fiume
You can’t help yourself, huh?! ??
To go back to AZ and Maminjo’s debate on the previous post…it may be painful for Maminjo to admit and he’s usually fairly objective although undoubtedly still an optimist, it’s tough to look at this Croatia team and be excited about the form.
We’ve had some form problems in previous tournaments, particularly with the defense, goalie, strikers etc and managed to eek out results.
And Maminjo is exactly right to point out, as I have now repeatedly pointed out the last couple years, that as long as Croatia has that effective midfield group, in many ways they can take the air out of the game and keep things tights a la Greece Euro 2004 or Croatia WC 2018, Croatia WC 2022.
Undoubtedly though, the worry continues to be that we are on borrowed time with that midfield group and the wheels will just suddenly come off. Modric nearly 40, Bozo in Saudi playing against camels, and Kovacic still not in great form (although he’s the youngest so I believe he will bounce back).
And finally, Perisic who you could make a case is the greatest Croatian national team player of all time, is probably out. If he does make a comeback, I think we’re looking at a 20 minute a game guy rather than the 80 minute guy sprinting up and back on the flank.
Combo that with the group of death, and I currently have Croatia’s chances of advancing out of the group at around 40%.
Regardless, as a true domoljub and supporter of Modric, I will be in attendance to watch his possible farewell tour….although not unreasonable we’ll see him in the US in 2026 if Croatia can qualify, which unfortunately is going to be really challenging even with the expansion.
using poll on twitter is nothing. same as coming to this site and reading some of the comments. drek!
Would be pretty funny if Dinamo won it all
My gut says Rijeka, they have the most momentum, but my heart says Hajduk.