Celje played with the nerves of the fans again, Albert Riera was pulling his hair out again: Champions from 2:0 to 2:2, three points stayed at home despite everything
Photo: Urban Lesjak
No, this is definitely not it. This is certainly not up to the standards of Albert Riera… Celje did indeed defeat Radomlje this time, but serious teams cannot afford such performances, such fluctuations. The home team went from being very good, confident, and convincing to being completely unrecognizable. In the end, despite the drama, they celebrated with a 4:2 victory in the knez’s city.
At the Z’dežele stadium, the match could have practically ended in the first half. And it seemed like it… Celje dominated and outplayed Radomlje, scoring two goals. Already in the 14th minute, after a beautiful attacking play in Radomlje’s penalty area, Ivan Brnić struck the ball on the first touch and scored his first goal in a Celje jersey. Brnić’s goal was set up by Marko Kvesić, who sent the Croatian into action with a splendid pass that “tore apart” the Radomlje defense.
The assist for the second goal was even more beautiful: the ball flew towards the Radomlje goal from the middle of the field, the Radomlje defense was too slow, and Aljoša Matko was too quick. The previous season’s top scorer for Celje then played with two Radomlje defenders and the opposing goalkeeper in the penalty area and scored with routine precision.
Celje could have scored another goal, but even a 2:0 lead seemed like a sufficient advantage for the win. It seemed the game was decided. The home fans were convinced that Celje would easily stroll to victory in the second half. However, instead of complete focus, a casual attitude settled into the Celje team. Radomlje sensed this and played much better. In the 54th minute, Aljaž Krefl ran towards the ball to clear the danger in front of his goal but suddenly fell as if struck down. His thigh muscle “failed,” which was exploited by Stjepan Davidović, a 19-year-old from Radomlje, who scored on his second attempt against Lovro Štubljar.
Shortly after, Niko Gajzler, another 19-year-old Croatian, was alone in front of the Celje goal. He should have just kicked the ball into the goal. Instead, he missed! Celje was completely disorganized, and Radomlje could have turned the game around. In fact, they did manage to level the score after about an hour of play, when Niko Gajzler redeemed himself for his miss and scored with a precise shot from the tip of his soccer boot. Celje’s defense continued to look as if it was made up of amateurs…
In the 73rd minute, it seemed that Celje had been awarded a penalty due to a clumsy move by Nemanja Gavrić. Referee Bojan Mertik awarded it, but VAR revealed that Gavrić was lucky—the foul was committed on the edge of the penalty area. However, it was from this free kick that Celje regained the lead. A precise header from Damjan Vuklišević turned the cross into a goal. As the match was nearing its end, Armandas Kučys scored in the 92nd minute, ensuring that Celje’s win was at least convincing in terms of score. But on the field, it was anything but convincing…
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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#aljošamatko
#armandaskučys
#damjanvuklišević
#ivanbrnić
#nikogajzler
#stjepandavidović
1. SNL
Celje
Radomlje
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