In the 1. SŽNL, the third derby of the season is scheduled: After Mura’s victory and a draw, is it now time for Olimpija’s win?

Published on 21. April 2024 21. April 2024

Photo: Boštjan Rous/ŽNK Mura Nona

1. SŽNL will feature the derby between the biggest rivals for the third time this season. For the second time, Mura and Olimpija will clash at the Fazanerija. Olimpija’s players are still chasing almost the last chance to intervene in the battle for the title of national champions. The Dragonesses made their task even more difficult when they managed to earn only one point against their city rivals on Monday. Despite the fact that the eyes of the football public will be on Murska Sobota, we will also be able to follow two more matches within the framework of the 20th round. The fourth match, which was supposed to be played between Radomlje and Ljubljana, has been postponed to May 2.

Derby Mathematically Cannot Crown a Champion Yet, but in Theory, Everything Could Already Be Over

One derby this season was won by the Mura players, while the second ended in a draw. This should mean that the teams are very close on the standings, and this derby could be more like a World Cup final than just another game in the national championship. However, the Olimpija players struggled a lot, especially against their city rivals. They were even defeated once, and on Monday, as mentioned earlier, they dropped two more points. The situation has turned to the extent that Olimpija is currently more focused on securing the second place than on the actual battle for the title, which has been eluding them for the sixth consecutive season. The derby will be played at the Fazanerija at 13:00, and you can watch it live on Sportklub 1.

An interesting match will also take place in the morning in Koper. There, Gažon will host the team from Ptuj. The Styrian teams have won both matches this season. They celebrated a minimal victory of 1:0 in the first match and a slightly more convincing one of 3:1 in the second match. The Ptuj players will be aiming for new points against the bottom-placed Gažon. However, if Gažon wins, the situation at the bottom would completely turn upside down, with only three points difference between the last three teams.

The last match will be played in the afternoon. At 15:00, Primorje and Cerkelj will face each other in Ajdovščina. Only one point separates the teams on the standings, but it is worth noting that Primorje has also played one match less. The first match this season in Cerklje ended in a draw, while in the second match in Ajdovščina, the home team convincingly won 4:1. The guests will have to be careful again of the excellent attacker from Primorje, Julija Poplašen. She has already scored 15 goals this season, and she is the only player from the lower half of the table to have reached double digits in goals. She also proved her excellent form by scoring in three consecutive matches. Could she succeed in the fourth consecutive match?

The match between Radomlje and Ljubljana, as mentioned earlier, is postponed to a later date. It will be played on Thursday, May 2, at 17:00.

20th Round Matches in SŽNL:

ŽNK Gažon – WFC Drava Ptuj, April 21, 11:00, Koper, ŠRC Bonifika – UT field,
ŽNK Mura Nona – ŽNK Olimpija Ljubljana, April 21, 13:00, Murska Sobota, Mestni stadion Fazanerija,
Primorje Gaia Naturelle – ŽNK Cerklje, April 21, 15:00, Ajdovščina, ŠC Police – UT field,
ŽNK Radomlje Medex – ŽNK Ljubljana (postponed to May 2)

League standings after 19 rounds: