NK Lokomotiva secured a 3-2 victory over Istra 1961 in the opening round of the Croatian First Football League on Saturday. The away side took the lead through A. Triantafyllou before E. Frederiksen equalised for the hosts. Istra briefly went ahead when N. Skafar Zuzic appeared to score, only for the goal to be cancelled after a VAR check ruled him offside. D. Vukovic restored Lokomotiva's advantage before Frederiksen's second goal gave the hosts the lead once more.
The match opened with both sides probing cautiously, though Lokomotiva struck first when Triantafyllou found space to slot home in the twenty-sixth minute. Frederiksen responded quickly, finding the net from close range four minutes later. Skafar Zuzic then appeared to give Istra the lead after a clever move, but the officials ruled him offside before the celebration could begin. Vukovic worked a short corner in the forty-second minute to pull Lokomotiva ahead, and Frederiksen's second goal in the fifty-eighth minute suggested the hosts might salvage something.
Lokomotiva's late intervention proved decisive. I. Katic scored in the ninetieth minute to complete the comeback, while both sides made several changes as the game wore on. M. Lorber was among the first to come on for the visitors, followed by J. Vasilj and M. Susak. Istra brought on R. Hrvatin and M. Maric in search of an equaliser, but the goalkeepers had their work cut out for them in the closing stages.
The statistics tell a different story from the final scoreline. Istra dominated possession at 54 per cent and registered eight shots on target from fourteen attempts. Lokomotiva managed five shots on target from seven attempts but created more big chances — four compared to the hosts' two. The visitors' goalkeeper made six saves to the home keeper's two, highlighting how clinical Lokomotiva were with their opportunities.
Both teams enter the new campaign with six points from six games, though Lokomotiva's victory moves them level on points with Istra while maintaining their superior goal difference. Istra's recent form — three draws in their last five fixtures — suggested they would be hard to break down. Lokomotiva's 4-0 win over Sturm Graz II in their most recent outing showed they could attack effectively when given the chance.