Borac Banja Luka saw off Zeljeznicar Sarajevo 2:0 in the fifth round of the Premier League on Wednesday evening. The hosts moved closer to the summit with a performance that showed they have the deeper squad and the sharper edge when it matters.
L. Juricic ended a barren spell just before the interval, slotting home in the 45th minute plus one. By then the match had settled into a rhythm where Borac controlled territory and Zeljeznicar had to work hard for anything. A. Rascic had picked up a yellow card eight minutes in, and came off for D. Sabic at the break.
And here's the thing about the second goal: it came six minutes after the restart, not long after two Zeljeznicar players went off after picking up yellows in the 59th minute. A. Roguljic made the difference, capitalising on the shift in momentum. The visitors looked rattled by then, and the pressure told.
The statistics tell the story without much debate. Borac held 71 per cent possession and registered 13 shots on target against just one for their visitors. Zeljeznicar managed four corners to five, and their eight off-target efforts never threatened to build anything. It was not a game of chances for the away side.
To be fair, the result reflects the standings rather than creates a new narrative. Borac sit second with 10 points from four matches, while Zeljeznicar remain seventh with just four points. The hosts have not lost yet; the visitors have found consistency harder to come by this season.
