Slaven Belupo defeats HNK Rijeka 4-1

HNK Rijeka suffered a significant 4-1 defeat against Slaven Belupo at the Ivan Kušek Apaš stadium. Despite taking an early lead through a Tiago Dantas penalty, Rijeka was overtaken by goals from Jon Mersinaj, Lovro Banovec, and two from Ilija Nestorovski.

Rijeka coach Matjaž Kek expressed deep disappointment, describing the team's performance following the opening goal as a “catastrophe and shame” that was “not worthy of the HNK Rijeka jersey.” Kek took responsibility for the collapse, noting that the team was outplayed and lacked defensive organization.

Former Rijeka player Elvis Brajković also criticized the team, highlighting their poor away form. He noted that Rijeka has earned only two points from four away matches this year, with a goal difference of 2-7. Brajković pointed to recurring defensive errors, such as poor marking and a lack of reaction to loose balls, as primary reasons for the team's struggle to remain competitive at the top of the standings.