Rudes overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Koprivnica 3-2 in the Round of 32 of the Cup on Tuesday evening. The visitors came from behind after Koprivnica had taken a commanding start, with goals from C. Saho and I. Djoric giving the hosts a 2-0 lead by the 17th minute. And here's the thing — you'd have written off the visitors by then, but they refused to fold.
Koprivnica looked comfortable, controlling the tempo and pushing forward with purpose. Saho opened the scoring early, and Djoric doubled the advantage before Rudes could find any rhythm. The hosts worked the channels well, keeping possession and asking questions of the Rudes back line. To be fair, Rudes didn't offer much in response, sitting deeper and trying to weather the storm.
Then came the 29th minute, and everything shifted. Brkovic converted a penalty to bring Rudes within one, and almost immediately struck again to level the score. By then the atmosphere had changed completely — the stadium fell silent, and you could see the doubt creeping into Koprivnica's play. Two goals in quick succession turned a comfortable lead into a nervous affair.
Rudes took the lead through Ilecic in the 74th minute, and though Koprivnica pushed for an equaliser, Brkovic sealed the result with another goal in the 89th. The visitors had turned the game on its head, showing resilience that wasn't visible in their opening exchanges. It wasn't pretty football, but it was enough.
The result sends Rudes through to the next stage of the Cup, while Koprivnica's cup dream comes to an end. For the hosts, it's another disappointing exit — they had control for large stretches, but those two minutes at the 29th minute cost them everything.
