Orient 1919 saw off Krizevci 3-1 in the Round of 64 of the Cup on Wednesday evening. The hosts took control early through M. Ilicic and then weathered a second-half scare before N. A. Stasic scored twice to seal the win. Krizevci's hopes were dealt a blow when N. Peranovic was sent off in stoppage time.
And here's the thing about the opening minutes — Orient 1919 didn't camp in the final third immediately, but they were patient. Ilicic broke the deadlock in the 18th minute after the home side had worked the ball into dangerous areas. Krizevci responded with energy and didn't go away quietly.
By then, the game had opened up considerably. Koscevic pulled one back for the visitors in the 65th minute, and for a moment it looked like Krizevci might seize momentum. But Stasic struck twice in quick succession — first in the 67th minute, then again in the 75th — and ended a barren spell for himself.
The visitors threw everything at it after going behind, but the late dismissal of Peranovic in the 90th minute-plus-one changed the complexion of things. Orient 1919 had nothing to do all evening once that card was shown. They saw out the remainder comfortably.
The statistics tell you something about the match. Both sides registered 116 and 109 attacks respectively, but Orient 1919 landed 13 shots on target compared to Krizevci's two. Possession sat at 50-50, which doesn't tell the whole story — it's about what you do with the ball.
Three points in the Cup marks a solid start for Orient 1919 after their recent mixed run of results. Krizevci will need to regroup quickly, especially with the red card hanging over them. The home side advances to the next round with plenty to build on.
