Borac-Željezničar 0:1 (sus.)
Every year in the Premijer Liga, there is a big incident; this season is no exception. After quite an enjoyable 30 minutes of play, Borac fans entered the field and ran towards the "Maniacs". Rocks and flares where thrown. The game was suspended and the referee determined it could not be continued. Before the incident, we saw an open, attacking game with Željezničar as the better side. Zeba had the first big chance after the 20 minute mark with his effort 1-on-1 going wide of the post. Borac were unlucky when a deflected ball hit the post. Adilović gave the visitors a lead after a brilliant combination between Zeba and Svraka. The game will probably be registered as 0:3 for the visitors.
Čelik-Zvijezda 2:1
Unlucky Zvijezda paid the price for lack of finishing. The visitors were off to a flyer after Delić beat Nurković. It wasn't long before the locals equalized through Kapetan from close range. Zvijezda was better but the score remained 0:0 at half-time. Zvijezda scored again in the beginning of the second half, but the goal would not stand. The ball went into the net directly from a throw-in without touching any player. Martinović gave Čelik the win from a free-kick. Following the defeat, Jović's side is rock bottom along with Slavija. Čelik will try to extend their good run next week in Trebinje.
Sloboda-Olimpic 1:4
Olimpic continued it's nice run with a convincing 4-1 win in Tuzla. The visitors broke the deadlock after 20 minute through Dučić. Harba and Kapić increased the lead to three before Rahmanović scored for Sloboda just before half-time. Any prospects for the locals to turn around this game were shattered when Muharemović re-gave a three goal cushion to the Sarajevo side. Sloboda will now find it very difficult in Premijer Liga with a uneasy schedule. Olimpic are on a good start to turn around their season.
Gošk-Zrinjski 0:0
There is not much to say after this goalless draw. A match that promised more but ended up as a very boring one. Zrinjski now holds 12 points and 6th place while Gošk has a comfortable 9 points in 11th position. Odović is still unbeaten as head coach of the Gabela club.
Velež-Travnik 4:1
Velež, as expected, recorded an easy win against a turbulent Travnik side. Merzić opened the scoring after ten minutes of play with a canon shot that deflected off a Travnik player to find its way in the net. Zolj increased the Mostarian's lead just before half-time. Velež continued to dominate in the second half and it payed of quickly. Zolj, again, scored to make it three-zip. Not long after, Kodro struck from 20 yards to make it 4-0. Varupa scored for the visitors twenty minutes from time from the penalty spot. Velež finally registered a W after two straight losses. I have a feeling it will be a long season for Travnik; they have not won in 5 games.
Slavija-Rudar 1:1
Agony for Slavija. Victory was the only option today for the locals, but apparently the pressure made them blow it. Actually things started pretty well for Slavija when Sadiković struck in the 25th minute following a free-kick from about 25 yards out. Slavija seemed in control in the remainder of the game and the win was within reach, but Ramić had other plans. 15 minutes from time he equalized and gave the Rudar squad a very big point. Slavija will have a chance to redeem themselves next week when they will square off in Travnik against another struggling team. Rudar will face a difficult task as they host Sarajevo.
Sarajevo-Široki 0:1
This game will be remembered with Suljić's disallowed first-half goal. The replay shows the goal was absolutely regular and Zrilić should not have stopped the play for an indirect to Široki. Sarajevo was the better side for pretty much the whole game but they could not find the net. Široki converted one of their rare chances with a lovely header from Džidić in the 65th minute. In the last 15 minutes, Sarajevo gave it all but equalize despite having some colossal chances. Široki now leads the championship and will face an easy test against Kozara on Pecara stadium. Sarajevo travels to Prijedor against a good looking Rudar side.
Kozara-Leotar 1:0
Despite being broadcasted on national television, this game concurred with the one in Gabela for the title of most boring. There isn't much to say except that Mujić was the scorer in the 76th minute to give Kozara a second win in the Premijer Liga. Next week, Kozara visit Široki and Leotar hosts Čelik.
Comment and give your thoughts!
Follow me on Twitter!
Sunday 25 September 2011
Thursday 22 September 2011
Week 8: Derbies in Sarajevo and Banja Luka
Borac-Željezničar
One of this week's most interesting fixtures will take place in Banja Luka where champion's Borac face cup winner's Željezničar. Borac was off to a strong start this season until they crashed into a desperate Olimpic side which was overdue for a win last week. On the other hand, Željezničar had a start well below all expectations. They struggled away from home with losses to Travnik and Široki but managed to remain unbeaten in their travels to Olimpic and Čelik. In this match up, the home side are in a must win situation if they want to continue rivaling Sarajevo and Široki for Premijer Liga's top spot. Željo will try to pull out an upset to turn around their season.
Prediction: Slight edge for Borac, but don't write away the visitors. It's the first game they don't really play under pressure; this time Borac has to deliver.
Čelik-Zvijezda
The home fans finally saw some positive changes in the club's management structure. It seems as it has paid off, the team has since been unbeaten. Following a dramatic win in Gradiška, Čelik are full of confidence ahead of their Zvijezda challenge. Dragan Jović's side didn't have it easy this season with a few though losses against Herzegovinian teams. Both teams have an identical record of 2 wins, a draw and 4 losses with a goal difference of -5.
Prediction: Very close game with Čelik as the likely winner. I wouldn't expect many goals here.
Sloboda-Olimpic
What a match-up! A club on the brink of bankruptcy against a club that has no fans but a lot of money. Sloboda did surpisingly well up to now with a respectable 9 points. Olimpic has been the biggest deception this season with a slim 7 points.
Prediction: This match could go either way. So far, both teams have been unpredictable. If I would have to bet my money, I would put it on the "wolves".
Gošk-Zrinjski
Herzegovina derby! The newly promoted Gošk faces Mostar giant's Zrinjski. Miomir Odović's side have been quite solid with 8 points in 7 games. They almost shocked Travnik on Pirota stadium last week (which is famous for it's home ground) but came back home to Gabela with a draw. Zrinjski has shown, under Slaven Musa's rule, a totally new Zrinjski compared to last season. The team plays aggressively and offensively which is shown with the 17 goals they scored.
Prediction: The visitors have enough quality to come home with a W.
Velež-Travnik
The other Mostar giant, Velež, is in action against Travnik which is going through some difficult times. After four years in charge, Travnik's manager Nedžad Selimović has been sacked after a miserable home draw to Gošk. On the other hand, Velež wants to rebound after a series of two losses, away to Rudar and home to Široki. Velež opened the season well, being on top of the league after a few rounds. They are still playing above expectations and will try to fight for a spot that leads to European competitions.
Prediction: I can't see Travnik coming up with a result here. I would definitly bet on the home side to win it (2-3 goals margin).
Slavija-Rudar
Slavija is on a downward slope for a few years already. After the historic win against Aalborg in the UEFA cup, the team from Eastern Sarajevo presented constantly poorer football every year. This year, they hold 15th position and the worst goal difference record in the league. They are on a run of four straight losses. We also have a Rudar Prijedor side which has been perhaps the most consistent squad in the league for the past few seasons. They are almost always in mid-table, win pretty much every game home, and lose pretty much every game away. They hold a solid 8th position with 3 wins, a draw, and 3 losses.
Prediction: Although Rudar isn't really known for their performances away from Gradski Stadion, I could easily see them stealing three points in Lukavica.
Sarajevo-Široki
Another derby! The league's two top teams face off in Koševo stadium for league supremacy. Both teams have been outstanding so far although the guests are probably in better form. Sarajevo just experienced a though 1-0 loss to Trebinje's Leotar, while the guests are on a three game winning streak. Both teams have scored a lot of goals (33 total) and it surely will be a very entertaining contest. The team that wins this match will have a big edge in the remainder of the season.
Prediction: Very though call, a draw seems most likely. (I would probably bet on more than 2.5 goals)
Kozara-Leotar
Newly promoted Kozara face Leotar in this week's lowest profile match-up. Kozara is finding it though in Bosnia-Herzegovina's top flight with only 5 points so far. However, it must be said that the Gradiška side has been able to keep all the results respectable with a goal difference of only -3. Not bad for the league's poorest side. Leotar are on a high after beating league leaders Sarajevo and shocking Slavija away, and are looking forward to extend their momentum.
Prediction: This game is very much up for grabs. A draw is probably most likely.
Comment and give your thoughts and predictions!
Follow me on Twitter!
One of this week's most interesting fixtures will take place in Banja Luka where champion's Borac face cup winner's Željezničar. Borac was off to a strong start this season until they crashed into a desperate Olimpic side which was overdue for a win last week. On the other hand, Željezničar had a start well below all expectations. They struggled away from home with losses to Travnik and Široki but managed to remain unbeaten in their travels to Olimpic and Čelik. In this match up, the home side are in a must win situation if they want to continue rivaling Sarajevo and Široki for Premijer Liga's top spot. Željo will try to pull out an upset to turn around their season.
Prediction: Slight edge for Borac, but don't write away the visitors. It's the first game they don't really play under pressure; this time Borac has to deliver.
Čelik-Zvijezda
The home fans finally saw some positive changes in the club's management structure. It seems as it has paid off, the team has since been unbeaten. Following a dramatic win in Gradiška, Čelik are full of confidence ahead of their Zvijezda challenge. Dragan Jović's side didn't have it easy this season with a few though losses against Herzegovinian teams. Both teams have an identical record of 2 wins, a draw and 4 losses with a goal difference of -5.
Prediction: Very close game with Čelik as the likely winner. I wouldn't expect many goals here.
Sloboda-Olimpic
What a match-up! A club on the brink of bankruptcy against a club that has no fans but a lot of money. Sloboda did surpisingly well up to now with a respectable 9 points. Olimpic has been the biggest deception this season with a slim 7 points.
Prediction: This match could go either way. So far, both teams have been unpredictable. If I would have to bet my money, I would put it on the "wolves".
Gošk-Zrinjski
Herzegovina derby! The newly promoted Gošk faces Mostar giant's Zrinjski. Miomir Odović's side have been quite solid with 8 points in 7 games. They almost shocked Travnik on Pirota stadium last week (which is famous for it's home ground) but came back home to Gabela with a draw. Zrinjski has shown, under Slaven Musa's rule, a totally new Zrinjski compared to last season. The team plays aggressively and offensively which is shown with the 17 goals they scored.
Prediction: The visitors have enough quality to come home with a W.
Velež-Travnik
The other Mostar giant, Velež, is in action against Travnik which is going through some difficult times. After four years in charge, Travnik's manager Nedžad Selimović has been sacked after a miserable home draw to Gošk. On the other hand, Velež wants to rebound after a series of two losses, away to Rudar and home to Široki. Velež opened the season well, being on top of the league after a few rounds. They are still playing above expectations and will try to fight for a spot that leads to European competitions.
Prediction: I can't see Travnik coming up with a result here. I would definitly bet on the home side to win it (2-3 goals margin).
Slavija-Rudar
Slavija is on a downward slope for a few years already. After the historic win against Aalborg in the UEFA cup, the team from Eastern Sarajevo presented constantly poorer football every year. This year, they hold 15th position and the worst goal difference record in the league. They are on a run of four straight losses. We also have a Rudar Prijedor side which has been perhaps the most consistent squad in the league for the past few seasons. They are almost always in mid-table, win pretty much every game home, and lose pretty much every game away. They hold a solid 8th position with 3 wins, a draw, and 3 losses.
Prediction: Although Rudar isn't really known for their performances away from Gradski Stadion, I could easily see them stealing three points in Lukavica.
Sarajevo-Široki
Another derby! The league's two top teams face off in Koševo stadium for league supremacy. Both teams have been outstanding so far although the guests are probably in better form. Sarajevo just experienced a though 1-0 loss to Trebinje's Leotar, while the guests are on a three game winning streak. Both teams have scored a lot of goals (33 total) and it surely will be a very entertaining contest. The team that wins this match will have a big edge in the remainder of the season.
Prediction: Very though call, a draw seems most likely. (I would probably bet on more than 2.5 goals)
Kozara-Leotar
Newly promoted Kozara face Leotar in this week's lowest profile match-up. Kozara is finding it though in Bosnia-Herzegovina's top flight with only 5 points so far. However, it must be said that the Gradiška side has been able to keep all the results respectable with a goal difference of only -3. Not bad for the league's poorest side. Leotar are on a high after beating league leaders Sarajevo and shocking Slavija away, and are looking forward to extend their momentum.
Prediction: This game is very much up for grabs. A draw is probably most likely.
Comment and give your thoughts and predictions!
Follow me on Twitter!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)