October HNL Recap: Hajduk On Top

Title Fight:

With Dinamo plagued with a packed European, Cup and League calendar, Croatia’s perennial champions find themselves in the same position as last season; seemingly slipping away from a league title. However, this does not mean Dinamo haven’t had a bad campaign. Dinamo currently have only three losses, those coming to league leaders Hajduk earlier in the season, a poor upset loss to Slaven, and most recently a shock defeat at home to an in-form Osijek side that has clawed their way back into Europe. What stands in Dinamo’s way is a Hajduk super-team and an unbeaten Rijeka side. It’s no secret that in the past two seasons Hajduk has embraced a win-now mentality that has seemed to pay off in the early season of both campaigns sitting with a 3-point margin going into November. This is a Hajduk squad supported with a mix of expected and unexpected talent gelling to make themselves a team that mirrored Rijeka’s unbeaten success until just this match week, finally falling to Varaždin. Hajduk has relied on veterans like Livaja and Rakitić who were expected to deliver this level of talent. However, Hajduk’s biggest assist and surprise has been in their younger core, a group of reliable players who turned to be much more than just Pukštas and Sigur. Younger talents such as Domink Prpić and Šimun Hrgović have stepped up as younger defensive talents this campaign. However, the biggest and most noteworthy surprise has been the 16-year old striker, Bruno Durdov who is Hajduk’s second leading scorer. While Hajduk may have a potent attack, second place Rijeka have earned their status as the only unbeaten team left this season through their near impenetrable defense. Rijeka have only allowed four goals this whole campaign making themselves hands down the toughest team to play this season. Dinamo also stands as the only team within the top-4 to have scored against Rijeka, proving that their defense is capable enough to fend off top tier sides in the league too. With only four points separating first from third this season, anything can still happen going into 2025.

Battle for Europe:

Outside the Top-3, Osijek and Varaždin have been sparring for the fourth and likely final spot in Europe in a battle that sees them enter November on equal points. While Osijek struggled early in the season, Varaždin has looked like a side ready to battle for Europe and break the five-year streak of a club outside Croatia’s traditional top-4 making into Europe. This Varaždin side bolstered off of a huge win over Hajduk and a draw against Rijeka. Varaždin’s key players this season have been Michele Šego and Ivan Nekić this season. With Varaždin losing key players in Fran Brodić at striker and Luka Jelenić at centerback, both Šego and Nekić have filled in to the missing slots nicely. Šego currently leads Varaždin as the clubs leading goal scorer sitting with three goals and Nekić has slid into the composed defensive responsibilities Jelenić performed before he left. As for Osijek, the Slavonian side has been struggling yet again with the same issue that has plagued them in seasons before: consistency. Luckily for Osijek that is slowly starting to change, seeing the Bijelo-Plavi go on a four game winning streak since an early defeat to Istra at the beginning of the month. A convincing 4-2 victory over Dinamo at the end of the month fully solidified the hype around a slowly rebounding Osijek side. With key attacking players like Mierez transferring out and Matković getting injured Osijek has rallied behind an underrated signing in Arnel Jakupović from Maribor. Jakupović has made an immediate impact for the Bijelo-Plavi scory five goals in eight games, two of which came in Osijek’s road victory against Dinamo. While the season is still early, Osijek’s form could change in any direction, leaving the possibility for a sneakily strong Varaždin side to keep pace with the Slavonian club and challenge for Europe as well.