Adriatic Duel
The fifth round of the Premier League will be played over two days, Friday and Saturday (October 25 and 26). A total of 6 matches are evenly distributed – three on Friday, and the same number on Saturday. However, since out of the three matches scheduled for Friday, only one involves Croatian clubs, we will focus only on that one.
Milanović's Debut in Crnica
In Šibenik, Zagreb's Mladost will play. For their new coach Igor Milanović, this will also be his debut on the bench. The Frogs are coming a bit 'bruised' from some previous matches, albeit with a convincing victory last Saturday against Primorje EB. On the other hand, the Sunčani are waiting for the Frogs, emboldened by a very, very good start of the season, and last week's victory away against none other than the Montenegrin champions, Kotor's Primorac.
"It is true that our previous results have been very good, but we do not delude ourselves, and our main objective this season remains to stay in the Premier League. Ensuring our survival in a league that is so strong that after just 2 losses, you drop to the bottom," says Antonio Petković, the best player and top scorer of Solaris, who is also a former player of Mladost.
"Therefore, we will aim to stay in the 'elite' as long as possible. Mladost is still the favorite in every aspect," concluded Petković.
In Mladost's team, there is one player from Šibenik, who clearly emerged from Solaris, Andrija Bašić.
"Although, I haven't played there in at least 10 years. It will be interesting to go back there again. The pool can be tricky. It's hot, and then those fans by the pool blow so much that sometimes they can even bother the goalkeepers. Solaris is a very unpleasant opponent. We watched their match against Primorac, which they easily won. They are an experienced team. Even those who are younger have a number of matches under their belt, so there are no 'easy' players to play against there."
The match Solaris - Mladost can also be watched on SPTV on Friday at 8:30 pm. On the same day, two more matches are being played in Serbia; Crvena zvezda - Novi Beograd and Valis - Radnički.
Saturday's Adriatic Duel
Saturday brings three new matches, with all three involving Croatian clubs, and the centerpiece will certainly be the match in Herceg Novi where two Jadrans will meet. Two clubs with the same name, both from the Champions League, both coming off recent defeats. Under different circumstances, but in a similar way.
The Jadran from Herceg Novi lost in the 4th round of the Premier League, in one of the toughest away games, against Novi Beograd, but they left a good impression. The Split Jadran, on the other hand, lost the domestic Super Cup to Jug players, with a poorer execution of penalties. These are nuances, but still registered as losses leaving a bitter taste. It is more than certain that the people of Novi and Split will now exert all their strength to 'dilute' the sorrow of the recent defeats with a victory.
The host has a slightly harder task. Jadran (HN) has a 2-2 record in the Premier League, while Split's Jadran has a 3-1 record (losing on penalties to Novi Beograd). The people of Herceg Novi haven't started well in the Champions League either, with 0 points after two games. It will be 'hot' in Škver.
Jug Players in Budva against Kotorans
Jug Adriatic Insurance is coming to Budva, where they will face Primorac from Kotor. The gentlemen, undoubtedly emboldened and 'recharged' with self-confidence after winning the Super Cup in Šibenik, are playing an excellent game. According to many, including the assessment of coach Kobešćak, it is their best game this season.
What probably excites the supporters of the Dubrovnik team even more is that in addition to the fantastic and seasoned players like Popadić, Joković, as well as Burić and Žuvela... in this match and victory, young players such as Mare Šušić, Petar Kulaš, Ante Jerković, Hrvoje Zvone... also made a significant contribution. Most of them are still minors.
If they replicate their performance from Crnica, the Jug players will be singing in Budva. This is even without considering the fact that the very young but excellent shooter Vlaho Pavlić is injured, and the defender Ivuša Burđelez did not play in Šibenik.
Primorac, on the other hand, stumbled in their last home game against Croatian clubs, although it is debatable whether the loss to Solaris was a stumble or an acknowledgement of the quality of the Šibenik team.
Rijeka Duel for Escaping the Bottom
Finally, at Kantrida, in Primorje EB's home, the Serbian first league team Šabac is visiting. The best description of what kind of opponent they are was given by Rijeka's captain, Tin Brubnjak.
"They are an experienced team that has been playing Euro Cup and consistently finishes in the top 2 of their group for a long time. They strengthened during the summer. Our main goal will be to neutralize their left side, which poses the greatest threat."
Both teams cannot boast of particularly good performance as their record after 4 rounds is just 1-3, and both are at the bottom of the table. Only Valis from Valjevo has a worse record. This is a match that should be utilized to make a light 'escape', a move away from the bottom. Hopefully, the people of Rijeka will turn this into a reality.
