Round 8 of the SuperSport HNL produced late drama, two straight reds, a stadium blackout, a bicycle kick, a first win of the season and the first Adriatic Derby of the campaign. Fair to say it was a great weekend, but it will be overshadowed by the referees whose calls this week were very much up for debate or just flat-out wrong. First game leads us to Velika Gorica, where Rudeš hosted Slaven Belupo…
Rudeš 2-2 Slaven Belupo: Ten-Man Rudeš Snatch a Point in a Thriller
Rudeš (4-2-3-1): Rogić – Taraba, Zebić, Stolnik, Unušić – Đorić (subbed on 63. Celjak), Diabaté (subbed on 46. Ilečić) – Skoko, X. Fernandes (subbed on 83. Seitz), El Haddad (subbed on 83. J. Fernandes) – Saho (subbed on 68. Kolega)
Slaven Belupo (4-2-3-1): Čović – Božić, Mersinaj (subbed on 64. Išasegi), Kovačić, Jakir – Adeshina, Bosak (subbed on 59. Crepulja) – Dabro, Bošnjak (subbed on 71. Ratshukudu), Mitrović – Banovec (subbed on 46. Nestorovski)
Friday nights in the HNL always carry a bit of extra magic, and this one delivered. It was end-to-end from the start. Banovec rattled the bar with a half-volley in the 6th, and four minutes later, he was through again after Bošnjak sliced Rudeš open, only to drag his effort just wide. Then in the 27th minute, Ivan Đorić got away with a very late and awful tackle on Leon Bošnjak. The refereeing commission later confirmed that the Rudeš midfielder should’ve been sent off. A tactical battle followed, with no team being able to threaten each other’s goalkeepers. Until Marko Dabro tried a long-range effort in the 36th, only for Rogić to be equal to his powerful shot. The real fireworks came after the break.
Čabraja made his move at the interval, taking off a solid Banovec for Ilija Nestorovski. Rudeš had shown little, prompting Peternac into a change of his own, and Ilečić immediately made the difference as he’s done previously this season when he’s come off the bench; driving down the left and cutting a low ball across goal that deflected off a blocked Skoko shot and fell perfectly for Haddad. The Moroccan finished with a stunning bicycle kick in the 54th for his first HNL goal. 1-0 to Rudeš.
The euphoria didn’t last long, though, for the hosts, as they were caught in a poorly judged half-break in the 61st, and although it looked harmless enough, Stolnik scythed down Dabro on the counter — referee Strukan didn’t hesitate, straight red. With the extra man, Slaven pushed for the turnaround: Nestorovski headed against the post from a Crepulja cross in the 63rd, and was denied again by Rogić in the 70th minute. But his goal came in the 74th, converting a penalty awarded and confirmed by VAR after Zebić’s “handball”, which the refereeing commission later said wasn’t supposed to be a penalty, as there wasn’t clear evidence that the centre-back handballed it. Anyways, five minutes later Slaven were ahead; Jakir’s cross from the left went sailing over everyone and dropped perfectly for Nestorovski, who made no mistake for his fifth of the season.
Rudeš refused to fold, however, and their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time. Unušić found a low cross to the edge of the six-yard box, and Dinamo loanee Marko Zebić threw himself at it from an awkward angle to force it home in the 92nd, grabbing his first goal for the club and some redemption for the handball that gave away the penalty.
A very dramatic ending, and Rudeš will see it as a huge result after being “robbed”, although they should’ve been a man down long before Stolnik took down Dabro in the 2nd half. Slaven won’t be looking forward to their first two games after the international break as they face Rijeka and Dinamo at home. Rudeš, on the other hand, will have a match against Gorica that could be called an early relegation six-pointer.
Varaždin 0-0 Osijek: Two Disallowed Goals, No Winner
Varaždin (4-2-3-1): Silić – Maglica, Mladenovski (subbed on 84. Škaričić), Tepšić, Sikošek (subbed on 46. Duraković) – Marina, Canjuga – Latković (subbed on 46. Uchegbu), Mamić, Tavares (subbed on 67. Duvnjak) – Jurić (subbed on 67. Akrap)
Osijek (4-3-3): Malenica – Kruiver, I. Ježić (subbed on 68. Bakti), Jelenić (subbed on 46. Hasić), Heister – Tunjić (subbed on 63. Farkaš), Vrbančić, J. Ježić – Bukvić, Leon, Ljatifi (subbed on 63. Cantero)
Both sides had the top spot within touching distance heading into this one, at least until Sunday’s Adriatic derby settles things further up the table, but neither could find the goal that would’ve got them that first place. Osijek were without Šimun Mikolčić, ruled out at the last minute through injury and replaced by new signing Luka Tunjić.
The first half had a decent tempo and plenty going on. Varaždin had a touch more of the ball, and the slightly better of the early exchanges, but Osijek looked the more dangerous side in the final third — and thought they’d taken the lead when 16-year-old Jona Ježić found the net, only for VAR to chalk it off for a handball by the younger Ježić brother. Varaždin had a few looks but couldn’t get a shot off that would’ve threatened Malenica. The half ended on a nastier note, with Latković and Jelenić colliding heads in a challenge that kept both players in the dressing room at the break.
Osijek handed a debut to new signing Alejandro Cantero, freshly arrived at Opus Arena earlier in the week, and the Spaniard wasted no time testing Silić with a firm strike that the goalkeeper comfortably dealt with. Osijek thought they’d finally broken through when Bukvić beat Silić, but the flag was up correctly for offside — the second disallowed goal of the afternoon for the guests.
In the end, a point was a fair reflection of an afternoon defined more by what didn’t count than what did. It’s Osijek’s first draw of the season after their red-hot start, while Varaždin have now drawn three on the bounce; a sign the early-season form for both is levelling out as the other teams get into form. Osijek host Istra after the international break, while Varaždin travel to face Lokomotiva.
Istra 1961 0-1 Gorica: Power Cut Masks Gorica’s First Win
Istra 1961 (4-2-3-1): Kolić – Hrvatin (subbed on 72. Kadušić), Kumar, Miettinen (subbed on 83. Nasraoui), Šepić – Doumbia (subbed on 60. Albarracín), Maurić (subbed on 72. Kablar) – Frederiksen, Ahmeti, Škafar Žužić (subbed on 60. Ukich) – Isaac
Gorica (4-2-3-1): Josipović – Braut, Filipović (subbed on 80. Perić), Stevanović, Costa (subbed on 62. Cvijanović) – Frigan (subbed on 80. Bakić), Lacoux – Vrzić, Brodić (subbed on 69. Pavičić), Bogojević (subbed on 62. Pranjić) – Mijić
The Saturday program of round 8 closed with a genuinely bizarre one in Pula. Gorica were the brighter side early on, Fran Brodić testing Kolić from 18 metres inside two minutes without seriously troubling him. Istra responded through a nice bit of combination play down the left between Škafar Žužić and Šepić, the latter squaring for Doumbia, whose first-time effort flew over the bar. Istra came again in the 15th through a Frederiksen backheel that set up Hrvatin, though his effort from the right of the box lacked precision.
The best chance of the half so far came in the 30th, Šepić unleashing from 20 metres and forcing a brilliant fingertip save out of Josipović, who tipped it onto the post. Istra thought they’d broken through in the 36th when Isaac Tomich curled home a lovely finish from 15 metres for what would have been his first HNL goal — but it was chalked off for an earlier offside in the build-up. Tempers flared briefly before the break, Stevanović and Tomich squaring up with Doumbia and Lacoux getting dragged in too, though it calmed down without any cards.
Gorica came flying out of the blocks after the restart and were unlucky not to lead inside a minute of the second half; Hrvatin blocked a Vrzić effort on the line, and Kolić then denied a follow-up chance that wouldn’t have counted anyway with Bogojević caught offside in the buildup. Tomich tried one from 25 metres in the 50th minute, saved by Josipović, and two minutes later Šepić squared for Kumar, whose effort from 10 metres went straight at the Gorica keeper.
And then, in the 53rd minute, the lights went out. Literally. A total power outage at the Aldo Drosina left the stadium in darkness for around 12 minutes, with fans keeping the atmosphere going by lighting up the stands with their phones. When the floodlights and scoreboard eventually came back on, the clock was reset to show the 54th minute instead of the 66th it should have been; reportedly, the referee decided to bring the clock back to the original time when the lights went out.
It was Gorica who found another gear once football resumed. Mijić headed over from a Pranjić cross in the 78th, and it was Pranjić himself who made the difference nine minutes later, taking his time on the edge of the box before curling a superb finish past Kolić to put the visitors ahead. Istra almost had an immediate response, Frederiksen rising highest from a dangerous cross and heading goalwards from five metres, only for Josipović to produce an utterly exquisite save right on the line — sparking furious protests from the home side, who were adamant the ball had crossed. It didn’t. Gorica saw out the victory as Renato Josipović walked away with 11 saves and a perfect 10 performance rating from SofaScore.
A first win of the campaign for Mario Carević’s Gorica, and a much-needed one given they’ve been last for a while. The outage will make for a fun footnote, but Istra will feel they did enough to deserve something from an evening that got away from them due to the brilliant Gorica shot-stopper, Josipović.
Rijeka 3-0 Hajduk: Kek Ends Hajduk’s Unbeaten Run
Rijeka (4-2-3-1): Vekić – Oreč, Majstorović, Husić, Lasickas (subbed on 74. Devetak) – Pavić, Ćubelić (subbed on 65. Barco) – Fruk (subbed on 85. Gojak), Dantas (subbed on 85. Janković), Vignato (subbed on 74. Mohebi) – Adu-Adjei
Hajduk (4-2-3-1): Silić – Acapandie (subbed on 73. Hadžikadunić), Marešić, Raci, Hrgović – Fayad (subbed on 82. Melnjak), Pajaziti (subbed on 62. Del Moral) – Bamba (subbed on 82. Huram), Dalisson, Šotiček (subbed on 73. Martin) – Šego
Hajduk were the ones who started brighter in the first Adriatic Derby of the season, threatening more often through Bamba and Šotiček, who had back-to-back efforts within seconds of each other in the 18th. Ten minutes later the ball was in the Rijeka net, with Dalisson putting the ball past Vekić after the Rijeka keeper had already made a fine save to deny a close-range Šego header — but the linesman’s flag was up immediately for offside against Šego, and VAR confirmed it soon after.
In the middle of that Hajduk pressure, Rijeka took the lead in about as unusual a fashion as you’ll ever see. Tiago Dantas had gone off the pitch for treatment on a cut eyebrow just minutes earlier — the moment he stepped back on, he won the ball off Hajduk’s defence, played it to Adu-Adjei who immediately played him through, and finished past Toni Silić himself for 1-0. Hajduk protested at length over Dantas re-entering the field during the move, but the goal was eventually confirmed clean. Fayad nearly levelled things in the 42nd with a lovely half-volley from the left, only for Vekić to deny him too.
Just when it looked like 1-0 would hold to the break, Rijeka had other ideas. Hajduk lost the ball in Rijeka’s half, sparking another home counter. This time Dantas turned provider, teeing up Samuele Vignato for an easy finish past Silić deep into first-half stoppage time, 2-0. Things got worse for Hajduk when Gonzalo Garcia was sent off for dissent after the half-time whistle, leaving his assistants to run the show from the touchline in the second half.
Any doubt over the outcome was settled by Daniel Adu-Adjei — though he got some help for the third, with Ron Raci slipping and gifting him the ball. The Kosovan was also the one who Dantas stripped the ball from for the opener. Adu-Adjei made no mistake, finishing through Silić’s legs for a commanding 3-0 in the 57th minute. That third goal effectively killed the game, and the tempo dropped off noticeably after it; both sides seemingly content to see it out, though Rijeka had some tries for a fourth without any success.
The result ends Hajduk’s unbeaten run at 11 games, their first defeat since going down 2-1 at Varaždin back in the league opener in August, and adds another chapter to Matjaž Kek’s remarkable record in this fixture: just one defeat in his first stint with Rijeka in the Adriatic Derby, now with a 14th career win in it. Hajduk stay on 16 points, but their goal difference has taken a hit. Rijeka, meanwhile, move up to 14 points with a game in hand on the chasing pack and the gap to the top has shrunk to just two points.
From a Hajduk perspective, this was self-sabotage from the defence and the team overall, who just lacked concentration and allowed Rijeka two very easy goals. There’s little Gonzalo Garcia could’ve done to influence the result, although the manager could’ve taken Ron Raci out at the break after his terrible first half. But that’s about it, as Hajduk looked the better side before the bizarre opener. Then good old, standard Hajduk crept back in to remind everybody they’re still the Hajduk who can’t string together an impressive run of victories. This also extends the Split side’s winless run away at the Rujevica, last victory coming in the fall of 2022, when Awaziem scored the sole goal in a 1-0 win.
Dinamo 3-2 Lokomotiva: Beljo Brace Gets Dinamo Over the Line
Dinamo (4-3-3): Kotarski – Tabinas (subbed on 66. Valinčić), Galešić, Radeljić, Perez Vinlöf – Stojković (subbed on 63. Kravcov), Mišić, Kačavenda (subbed on 63. Zajc) – Lisica (subbed on 74. Almena), Beljo, Ivanušec (subbed on 66. Hoxha)
Lokomotiva (4-2-3-1): Posavec – Karačić, Triantafyllou, Čabraja, Čabrajić – Fetai (subbed on 79. Antunović), Katić (subbed on 46. Subotić) – Vešović, Belcar, Vuković (subbed on 61. Thaqi) – Đurković (subbed on 60. Marić)
Dion Drena Beljo made his return from illness in exactly the way you’d hope, scoring twice, though the game itself will be remembered as much for its refereeing talking points as for the football.
Dinamo started with more energy than they’ve shown in recent weeks, and within minutes were appealing for a penalty for a foul on Beljo that referee Patrik Kolarić waved away. Not long after, he chalked off a Galešić header for a foul by Radeljić in the air, only to reverse the call after a VAR review and award the goal anyway; a decision that really didn’t warrant a review at all, as it was clear that Radeljić did nothing wrong in his headed assist.
The goal put Dinamo in the driving seat. Tabinas, a surprise inclusion, whipped in a cross from the right for Beljo to head home and make it 2-0, and for a moment it looked like Lokomotiva would fold without much of a fight. Instead, the game turned almost immediately. Lokomotiva pulled one back in a contentious passage of play: Kotarski punched clear, Vešović headed the loose ball back into the box while appearing to take a blow to the head in the process, and Vuković finished off the rebound. Dinamo appealed for a foul on their keeper and didn’t get it, Kolarić sticking to his call as both benches reacted strongly.
The second half brought more drama. Lokomotiva came out the better side, Kotarski producing a fine save to deny Belcar and Galešić throwing in a risky but perfectly timed sliding challenge to stop another chance. Then Beljo struck again in the 58th for his second of the night, and once more it looked like the game was won. It was only the start of the chaos that followed. A string of contested calls went both ways as the game wore on, before Josip Mišić was shown a straight red for dissent. It’s a rare sight, a captain sent off for giving it to the referee; Mišić was clearly wound up, no question, as he said to Kolarić: “Suck my d**k, you stinking piece of sh*t!” There have already been a ton of debates surrounding this, but referees need to crack down on this and hopefully continue in Kolarić’s footsteps. Though I definitely don’t want them to follow in the rest of his calls, which have been…terrible over the last year.
Down to ten men, Dinamo almost disappeared from the game. Lokomotiva threw everything forward, with Kotarski and the woodwork doing most of the saving, and what had looked like a comfortable win turned into a genuine scramble — Lokomotiva came agonisingly close to snatching a point out of it. The night’s chaos wasn’t quite done either: Lokomotiva substitute Duje Reić, warming up on the touchline, slipped over while playing a pass back from the bench, drawing mockery from the home end. His response, a defiant gesture (‘Bosanski Grb’) back at the crowd, earned him a straight red card of his own.
The officiating will dominate the conversation of this match, but Dinamo can’t afford to hide behind it — the same disjointed, error-prone version of themselves was on full display again, three points or not. Beljo’s brace on his return is exactly the kind of statement he’ll want fresh in Slaven Bilić’s mind ahead of the upcoming national team games, but needing this much drama to see off a struggling Lokomotiva side says plenty about where Dinamo are at right now. Good news for them: they have three weeks to reset and come back stronger for the Eternal Derby vs. Hajduk after the break.
Here are the SuperSport HNL standings after the 8th round:
