Velež defeated Sloga Doboj 2:0 in the third match of the Premier League regular season on Saturday. The home side took an early lead through M. Rahimic, who found the net in the eleventh minute. A. Mesic added a second goal in the 90+11th minute to seal the result.
Velež sat deep and soaked it up in the opening period, absorbing pressure while waiting for their moment. They struck quickly when the chance appeared, with Rahimic's effort catching the visitors off guard. Sloga Doboj had more possession but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a compact defensive shape.
Several changes were made around the interval, with the home side reshuffling their back line. P. Jaquez received a yellow card in the seventieth minute before being substituted at the hour-and-a-half mark. The visitors also brought on fresh legs, hoping to find an equaliser in the closing stages.
The statistics told a familiar story. Velež registered six shots on target while Sloga Doboj managed none, despite the visitors controlling 63 per cent of possession. The home side delivered 59 attacks compared to 80 for their opponents, but quality over quantity prevailed.
Velež move to eighth place with four points from five matches, while Sloga Doboj remain fifth on five points from four games. The result extends the visitors' recent unbeaten run, though they have yet to find the back of the net in their last two outings.