The Croatian Superliga resumed after over a month-long break with an exciting clash between the league’s top two teams. Undefeated Mladost hosted second-placed Ribola Kaštela and secured a 3-1 victory (25:13, 25:27, 25:21, 26:24) in a match lasting more than two hours. Despite the anticipation, both coaches agreed that the lengthy break impacted the quality of play.
Mladost coach Radovan Gačić commented, “We played well in the first set while the opponent lacked rhythm. Then we made a series of mistakes, and the game deteriorated. It reminded me of our opening match of the season when no one was in top form due to short preparation time. The long break clearly affected us, and it will take a few more rounds to return to normal.”
Ribola Kaštela’s coach Ivan Rančić echoed this sentiment, adding, “We played inconsistently but still came close to forcing a fifth set. The break was too long, and we struggled to find sparring partners during this time. It’s a shame about the fifth set, as I believe it would have been a fair result.”
The match began dominantly for Mladost, who closed the first set with a commanding 25:13. The second set saw a dramatic turnaround as Ribola edged out a 27:25 win. Mladost bounced back in the third set (25:21), while the fourth set delivered a nail-biting finish, with the home team clinching it 26:24.
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Other Superliga Matches
- Marsonia vs. Cratis Varaždin: Marsonia won 3-1 (25:15, 25:20, 23:25, 27:25) in a closely contested match lasting 110 minutes. Marsonia coach Tomo Paun highlighted the challenge of resuming after the long break but expressed satisfaction with the win.
- Sisak vs. Rijeka: Sisak celebrated their first victory under new coach Tomo Đurković, defeating Rijeka 3-0 (25:22, 25:22, 25:18) in just 79 minutes. Experienced player Matija Tepavac made a significant impact.
- Centrometal vs. Rovinj: Centrometal cruised to a 3-0 win (25:13, 25:13, 25:13) in just 64 minutes, with Rovinj unable to keep up with the dominant hosts.