A disappointing Dinamo draw and a vital Hajduk triumph over Rijeka set the scene for a blockbuster three-horse HNL title race that will be decided on the final day of action. As Football fans eagerly await the outcome, the excitement builds around this intense competition in Cro Football.
While Rijeka will be best placed of the trio, the trailing Dinamo and Hajduk will be equally prepared to snatch the Cro Football title.
Meanwhile, a Croat icon leads his club to a monumental Eredivisie Championship comeback, and an Aussie-born Lavice midfielder helps her team lift a first-ever Championship.
Vjesnik’s Jake Holub wraps up the week in national and international football, covering Aussie-Croats, Croats in Europe and the Cro Football’s HNL through a Croatian lens.
Europe: Ivan’s glorious Eredivisie triumph
Following an excellent 2-0 away win back in March, inspired by a solid defence performance from Josip Šutalo at the back for Ajax, PSV seemed out of the title race, trailing by nine points with seven games remaining.
However, what has ensued has been a truly remarkable recovery from PSV, which has coincidentally coincided with Ajax’s complete and utter collapse.
Recording a remarkable seven goals and two assists in his last six games, Vatreni legend Ivan Perišić was central in a seven-game winning streak for PSV.
On the other hand, Ajax only claimed 11 out of a possible 21 points following their win over PSV, allowing their rivals to leapfrog them to the top spot.
The opening goal in PSV’s 3-1 win over Sparta Rotterdam was the icing on the cake for Perišić, playing some of his career-best football at the twilight of his career.
The 36-year-old winger can now add his Eredivisie trophy alongside his collection of two Bundesliga’s, a Serie A and most notably a Champions League title.
While not featuring in the Final, midfielder Nikola Moro and Martin Erlić were able to celebrate Coppa Italia success with Bologna after defeating AC Milan 1-0 in the Final.
Playing all 90 minutes plus stoppage time in the FA Cup Final, Joško Gvardiol‘s Manchester City were unable to beat Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium, leaving the Citizens trophyless this season.
Modrić to stay on at Real Madrid
Despite starting and providing assists in both of Real Madrid’s last two league games, Luka Modrić‘s side have also been left trophyless this season after Barcelona’s domestic double success.
Although the 39-year-old maestro has seen a decrease in playing time this season under legendary head coach Carlo Ancelotti, rumours suggest that incoming manager Xabi Alonso has asked the club to extend Modrić’s expiring contract.
Remaining in Spain, Ante Budimir looks set to finish third in the La Liga Golden Boot after scoring in his third consecutive game for Osasuna.
Tallying 21 goals with his final game against Deportivo Alavés to take place on Sunday, Budimir trails just behind Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski in the scoring charts.
Set for a final title-deciding league game, Franjo Ivanović scored his 22nd goal of the season in Union Saint-Gilloise’s 4-0 win over Royal Antwerp.
Leading the Belgian Pro League by one point over the trailing Club Brugge. Ivanović has the chance to win his first major title and USG’s first top division title in 90 years.
Here are some other events from Croats in Europe worth noting:
- Playing in three consecutive wins for his side, Mario Pašalić‘s Atalanta has confirmed UEFA Champions League football again for next season.
- Starting in a 2-0 win over Angers, Duje Ćaleta-Car helped his Lyon side secure UEFA Conference League playoffs for next season.
- 20-year-old Marin Šotiček started and provided an assist in Basel’s loss to Young Boys.
HNL: Another twist sets up blockbuster final day
As it seemed almost certain that Hajduk Split had removed themselves from title contention after dropping points to Gorica. HNL‘s Round 35 action has set up an eye-watering final game day to come.
Facing Lokomotiva Zagreb on Saturday, Sandro Kulenović‘s penalty kick had Dinamo Zagreb in the lead at the half-time break.
Despite recording 3.05 expected goals to their opponents’ 0.37, Silvio Goričan‘s long-range effort in the 73rd minute saw Lokomotiva snatch a draw against Dinamo.
On a six-game winless streak, Hajduk Split were next up on Sunday, hosting Rijeka at the Poljud.
Top-scorer Marko Livaja kicked off the action in the 12th minute with an audacious panenka from the spot, providing hope for Gennaro Gattuso’s men.
While Duje Čop briefly had Rijeka level, Aleksandar Trajkovski’s header just five minutes later pulled Hajduk back into the lead.
Keeping the visitors to just two shots at goal in the entire second half, Hajduk prevailed as the winners in a hard-fought performance.
As such, Dinamo and Rijeka now sit level on 62 points at the top of the league table after Round 35, with Hajduk narrowly behind on 60 points.
While Dinamo are listed as top of the league on goal difference, Rijeka have destiny in their own hands due to a head-to-head advantage over Dinamo.
Hosting Slaven Belupo in their final league fixture, a win for Rijeka will see them crowned Champions no matter what.
If Rijeka fails to win, the door then opens to Dinamo.
Taking on fourth-placed Varaždin at the Maksimir, Dinamo need to ensure they record a better result than Rijeka to take out their 26th HNL title.
Must win for Hajduk
If both Rijeka and Dinamo drop points, Hajduk enters the frame.
Facing already-relegated Šibenik, a win for Hajduk would grant them the title if they either lead the league, are tied with both teams in a triangle, or are tied with Hajduk.
The one scenario that can deny Hajduk in this case would be if they are only tied with Rijeka on top, as Rijeka have the direct head-to-head advantage over the Poljud.
While potentially confusing with the amount of possible variables in determining the Champions, the HNL’s Round 36 will go down as one of the most thrilling title races in Cro Football history.
A-League: Galić lifts first-ever Central Coast Championship
Defeating the invincible Melbourne City in a tense semifinal tie, the Lavice midfielder Bianca Galić matched the red-hot Melbourne Victory in the A-League Women’s Grand Final at AAMI Park.
Tied 1-1 after 120 minutes of action, Galić scored the winning penalty kick in a thrilling shootout to help the Mariners lift their first-ever Women’s Championship, an unbelievable achievement for the underdogs.
Earning a call-up to the Croatian national team in October last year, Galić continues to reach new heights for the Coasties as a pivotal player in the centre of the park.
On the Men’s side, Steven Ugarković‘s Melbourne City made a great start to their semifinals tie with an eye-catching 3-0 win over Western United.
Restricted to a substitute appearance in the 71st minute due to injury concerns, United will hope that star striker Noah Botić can have a greater involvement in the second leg with a significant deficit to overturn.
On the following night, 17-year-old Luka Diduliča was included on the bench for Melbourne Victory in their first-leg loss against Auckland FC.
While the towering defender was unable to make his debut on the night, his performances in NPL Victoria have made the first team quickly take note of his vast potential.