Križevci Surge Past Dugo Selo: Confident 3-0 Win Lifts Visitors Toward Upper Half of Second NL Table

On a gray October afternoon in Dugo Selo, Križevci’s upward momentum met little resistance. The visitors delivered a commanding 3-0 victory at Gradski stadion, underscoring their ambitions in Croatia’s Second NL and leaving Dugo Selo to reckon with a troubling run of form.

From the opening whistle, Križevci displayed a clinical edge that contrasted starkly with their hosts’ tentative rhythm. The decisive tone was set early: in the 16th minute, a rapid transition upfield caught the Dugo Selo defense flat-footed, as Križevci’s attacking line broke through for the game’s first goal. The finish itself—precise, low, and fizzing beyond the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper—seemed to deflate the home crowd and signal a long afternoon ahead.

Despite fleeting spells of possession, Dugo Selo rarely threatened. Their buildup, often marred by errant passes and a conspicuous absence of urgency, failed to generate clear opportunities. By halftime, the scoreline remained 1-0, but the visitors’ composure suggested more to come.

Indeed, after the interval, Križevci pressed their advantage with ruthless efficiency. A looping corner in the 57th minute found its mark amid a scramble in the six-yard box, and the ball was bundled home to double the visitors’ lead. Dugo Selo, already struggling for confidence after a string of disappointing results, appeared shell-shocked. The hosts pushed numbers forward out of necessity, leaving vulnerable gaps at the back.

Just ten minutes later, Križevci struck again. Exploiting space in transition, the visitors carved apart a sagging defensive line, culminating in a well-timed cross and a composed finish for their third. The trio of goals, each separated by over twenty minutes, painted a picture of sustained control rather than a single burst of brilliance. The final whistle, when it came, was almost merciful for the beleaguered hosts.

This result extends Dugo Selo’s winless run to five matches in all competitions, including a bruising 0-4 cup defeat at home just a month prior. In league play, Dugo Selo has managed a solitary win from seven attempts (1-3-3), earning six points—a tally that places them 12th in the table and ominously close to the drop zone. Their problems are persistent: defensive lapses, an inability to convert rare chances, and a series of second-half collapses that mirror today’s narrative. Only twice in their last five league outings have they mustered more than one goal, and on Saturday, the threat going forward was notably absent.

For Križevci, in contrast, the day’s proceedings mark a significant statement of intent. Now seventh in the standings with 11 points from six matches (3-2-1), their campaign has been marked by steady improvement after a stuttering draw at home to Uskok Klis and a hard-fought 1-1 away tie in Kustošija. The three points secured at Gradski stadion not only bolster their position in the congested midtable but signal that Križevci can aspire to more than just midseason stability. They have now lost just once in their last five, with newfound attacking fluency propelling them up the ladder.

While neither club is a traditional heavyweight in Croatian football, recent meetings have hinted at a shifting power balance. Today’s authoritative performance may serve as a template for Križevci’s future ambitions, while Dugo Selo must regroup quickly if they are to arrest their decline.

The match itself was played with admirable intensity but little in the way of controversy: no red cards were brandished, and while tempers occasionally flared as frustrations built for the hosts, the contest seldom threatened to boil over. Instead, the enduring images are of Križevci’s crisp finishing and Dugo Selo’s resigned glances as another promising spell of possession fizzled out in the final third.

As the season crosses the quarter-mark, the stakes for both clubs are clear. For Križevci, Saturday’s emphatic win provides both tangible progress on the table and a psychological boost ahead of a run of fixtures that could define their ambitions. They sit just outside the chase for top positions and, with defensive solidity complementing a rejuvenated attack, can look upward with measured optimism.

Dugo Selo, however, face a crossroads. With just a single victory to their name and a negative goal differential mounting, the need for solutions—both tactical and psychological—has grown acute. Next week, they will again seek to halt their slide, with each remaining fixture taking on increased urgency as the threat of a deeper relegation scrap looms.

In a league where momentum swings can reshape the season in weeks, Križevci have seized theirs. For Dugo Selo, the challenge now is to rediscover resilience—before the campaign slips irretrievably away.