Round Two delivers surprise result
Sesvete hosted Dugopolje in the second round of the Prva NL on Thursday evening, and the visitors claimed all three points with a 2-1 win. The hosts had started their campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Karlovac 1919, but Dugopolje came with momentum after their draw with Kustosija on Sunday. And here's the thing — you could sense the away side had something different in mind from the opening whistle.
Basic gave Sesvete the lead in the twelfth minute, a moment that settled the home crowd. But Gasparac responded just fifteen minutes later, and Zdunic doubled the advantage before half-time. By then the match had turned, and Sesvete's early confidence had evaporated. The hosts pushed forward after the break, bringing on Ruskovacki and Jakovljevic to change the dynamic.
What stood out was how Sesvete controlled territory but couldn't convert it. They registered 122 attacks compared to 110 for Dugopolje, and won eight corners to one. To be fair, both sides managed three shots on target, so the efficiency gap wasn't as wide as the possession figures suggested. The home side held 59 per cent of the ball but found themselves chasing the game.
Zdunic collected a yellow card in the fifty-third minute before being substituted himself six minutes later. Utrobicic went off injured around the hour mark, replaced by Ravlic, while the visitors made three changes including Zivkovic and Shatri. Kruslin picked up the final booking on the hour, a late caution that did little to change the outcome.
The result moves Dugopolje into fourth place with four points from two games, while Sesvete drop to eighth with three points. The hosts will look at that goal difference and wonder where it went wrong. They had the chances, they had the ball, but Dugopolje took theirs when it mattered.
