Varaždin beat Rijeka 2-0 in the third round of the HNL on Saturday, a result that puts them top of the table with six games played and thirteen points. The hosts took control early and never looked back, with Ilir Mamut doing all the scoring. And here's the thing, it wasn't the kind of match where the away side dominated possession but still found a way through. Rijeka had the ball more, but Varaždin had the moments that mattered.
Mamut opened the scoring in the twentieth minute, a goal that felt like it shifted the mood of the whole game. By then, Rijeka were already pressing, but Varaždin held their shape. He doubled the lead from the spot in the thirty-first, and after that the visitors could only knock on the door. To be fair, Rijeka created space in wide areas, but they couldn't convert any of it into real chances.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Rijeka enjoyed sixty-two per cent possession and made 113 attacks compared to Varaždin's 95, but the hosts created four big chances while the visitors created none. Varaždin shot eight times with four on target, while Rijeka fired nine shots with only three on target. It's not always about who has the ball. Sometimes it's about who takes the chances.
The result leaves Varaždin in first place, with Rijeka sitting fifth after four games and seven points. The gap between them is now six points, and this match feels like it could define the season if either side loses momentum. The hosts had nothing to prove and everything to build on. Rijeka will need to find a way to turn possession into something more than just passing around the back.