Slaven Belupo claimed a narrow 2-1 victory over Lokomotiva at Gradski Stadion on Saturday evening. The match came in the sixth round of the HNL regular season, with both sides looking to build momentum after difficult starts to their campaigns. Belupo took all three points in a contest that was decided by fine margins.
Dominik Kovačić opened the scoring in the forty-eighth minute, giving the home side an early advantage. Ilija Nestorovski doubled their lead just five minutes later, and it looked as though Belupo might see out the game comfortably. Noel Durkovic pulled one back for Lokomotiva in the eighty-seventh minute, but the visitors could not find an equaliser.
The match had its share of interruptions, with seven yellow cards shown across ninety minutes. Dardan Morina was substituted at the break for Mirko Marić as Belupo tried to control the tempo. Later substitutions included Ivan Katić and Marko Vešović for the visitors, while Belupo brought on Matija Subotić and Marko Dabro in the closing stages.
Belupo dominated possession with 44 per cent compared to Lokomotiva's 56, but they were more dangerous in attack. The hosts registered 123 attacks against 99 for the visitors, and their shots on target were five to three. Lokomotiva created only one big chance all evening, while Belupo made two. And here's the thing — possession meant little when the final ball was not being delivered.
Both teams sit on six points after six games, though Lokomotiva occupy sixth place and Belupo are eighth. They share the same record of two wins and four defeats, with no draws between them. The gap between them remains tight, and every result matters in this part of the table.
We had backed Lokomotiva to win, offering 39 per cent confidence in the away side. The prediction did not come off. Belupo's ability to punish mistakes from set pieces and the quality of their first goal changed the dynamic of the game.
By then, the visitors had nothing left to give. Lokomotiva pushed for a point in the final minutes but could not break down a organised defence. Belupo saw it out and took a valuable result from a difficult away day.