Rijeka’s football players qualified for the quarterfinals of the Croatian Cup with a 4-1 away win against the third league team Mladost from Ždralov next to Bjelovar.
The home team took the lead with a goal Marija Nikolić in the fifth minute and held that advantage until halftime, but at the beginning of the resumption Duje Chop reversed the result in the 48th and 51st minutes. They confirmed Rijeka’s excellent entry into the second half Samuele Vignato with a goal for 3-1 in the 58th minute and Chop with his third goal in the 62nd minute for the final 4-1.
Youth came to leadership from free kick diagonally from the right, it was stopped by Nikolić. Nikolić hit the near corner of a poorly placed Zlomislic.
Defending champions Rijeka only sporadically threatened the well-organized host in the first half, but in the second 45 minutes the situation on the field completely changed.
Already in the 48th minute Chop beat home goalkeeper Smajić after Adu-Adjei calmed down the ball that Oreč threw into the penalty area. Three minutes later, the experienced striker of Rijeka hit the net for the second time, this time after a corner taken by Vignato, and Majstorović headed the ball to the second post where Čop was.
Vignato made it 3-1 with a nice solo breakthrough in the 58th minute, and four minutes later, Chop hit the bar with a great shot from more than 20 meters.
Rijeka is the seventh participant in the quarter-finals, previously Gorica, Slaven Belupo, Hajduk, Lokomotiva, Dinamo and Kurilovec were among the last eight, while the last participant will be announced later on Wednesday after the match between Varaždin and Osijek.
(Hina | Photo: Damir Spehar/Pixsell)
