Rarely seen 18-minute blitzkrieg for a significant victory in the eternal derby: Maribor crushed Olimpija, and Zeljković debuted with a heavy defeat
![Rarely seen 18-minute blitzkrieg for a significant victory in the eternal derby: Maribor crushed Olimpija, and Zeljković debuted with a heavy defeat](https://footballplanet.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/maribor-olimpija.jpg)
Photo: Blaž Weindorfer / Sportida
In the Ljudski vrt, on Sunday, in front of 7500 spectators, the 155th eternal derby was played, in which Maribor outplayed and convincingly defeated Olimpija. Maribor secured the victory with an exceptional start to the game, scoring three goals in the opening 21 minutes and dispelling any doubts about the winner. Maribor took the lead with a goal from Arnel Jakupović, who converted a penalty in the fourth minute. Then, with two exceptional long-range shots, Jan Repas scored twice.
![Denis Pintol](https://planetnogomet.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/maribor-olimpija-pintol.jpg)
Olimpija’s coach, Zoran Zeljković, making his coaching debut in the eternal derby, made two substitutions in the 26th minute after a catastrophic start to the game. Aljaž Krefl and Raul Florucz were replaced by Jorge Silva and Agustin Doffo. However, the game was already lost at that point. In the closing moments of the match, Olimpija scored through the celebrant Mustafa Nukić (celebrating his 33rd birthday), but the penalty goal in the 92nd minute was only a small consolation. Maribor won the last eternal derby of 2023 with a score of 3:1, narrowing the gap to six points behind Ljubljana’s team, who remain second in the standings.
The Violets could not have dreamed of a better start to the match, as they were awarded a penalty after just 70 seconds when Aljaž Krefl blocked Hillal Soudani’s shot with his hand in the penalty area. After reviewing the footage, the main referee, Aleksandar Matković, pointed to the penalty spot, and his decision was correct.
![Žinič Agba Maribor Olimpija](https://planetnogomet.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/zinic-agba.jpg)
Arnel Jakupović confidently converted the penalty, becoming the first to beat the visiting goalkeeper Denis Pintol this season. Another shock for the guests from the Slovenian capital followed in the 6th minute when Aljaž Krefl, this time quite scattered, lost possession on his own half. He gave the ball to Marko Kolar, who set up Jan Repas for a shot from the edge of the penalty area that Pintol could only watch as it went into the net.
The inspired Repas scored his second goal of the match in the 22nd minute with an outstanding shot from about twenty meters, setting the final score of the first half at 3:0. Moments later, after the first two substitutions, visiting coach Zoran Zeljković sent in Jorge Silva and Agustin Doffo. In the 57th minute, Repas had the perfect opportunity for a hat-trick but shot too high from close range. Seven minutes later, there was a fireworks display from the south stand of the Ljudski vrt stadium. With about twenty minutes left in the regular part of the match, Sven Šoštarič Karič had the final chance, but his attempt in front of the goal line was stopped by Pintol.
![Agba Repas Maribor Olimpija](https://planetnogomet.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/agba-repas.jpg)
Just before the end of the regular part of the match, there was a skirmish between Skuko and Muhamedbegović, with the former bringing down the latter after a few exchanged words. Olimpija scored a consolation goal in the 93rd minute when Mustafa Nukić converted a penalty.
For the first time since 2019, Maribor managed to score at least three goals against Olimpija in one match, also closing in on the top three teams in the Telemach First League standings. Maribor will face a quick turnaround with an away game at Bonifika in just three days, while Olimpija will host the Ljubljana derby in four days at Stožice.
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Avtor: Uredništvo Planet nogomet