Osijek excelled in every department, going full throttle in the second half.
Impressions – The first half seemed overcomplicated, with some surplus solutions being attempted by Osijek, so that they entered the second half without scoring a goal. As already stated, the second half saw a much sharper Osijek, with the first serious attempt resulting in a score. When the away team made their advance, Osijek used the opening and scored 2 more goals. Pula’s finest managed to have one last attempt, but it fell short. To put it succinctly, Osijek showed up sharp and on point, confirming their high quality in the national championship.
The Action – Osijek’s first goal was in the 49th minute, where Grgic received the ball as he ran along the sideline, with Kamenar receiving it and passing it to the incoming Henty. The Nigerian is in the perfect position, penetrating the space between 2 opposing players in the 16-meter area. As goalkeeper Condric approached him, Henty shoots the ball with his left foot and masterfully tricks the goalkeeper and scores.
Stats – The home team had the ball 57% of the time, which stands testament to their prowess. Osijek seemed resourceful and utilized chances only when there was a 100% profit guaranteed. 6 shots were made, whereas Istra 1961 only attempted to score only once. Corner shot stats are 9-3 (9 for Osijek), but the biggest difference was, lastly, in quality.
Stars – Henty keeps scoring like there’s no tomorrow and is Osijek’s new favorite. We are happy for Loncar’s showing up this good because the young back player earns it with his relentless work ethic. It was impossible to miss Mudrazija’s efforts in the midfield, him being the nexus of Osijek, as he always finds himself in the finishing acts of successful plays. This time, he forced a penalty kick, where Hajradinovic scored for 2-0.
