NK Varaždin heads into Sunday's derby against Hajduk with a clear plan on how to tackle the league leaders. Manager Nikola Šafarić has revealed the preparations for the SuperSport HNL round ten match, scheduled for Sunday, October 18th at 15:00 at Poljud Stadium.
The Varaždin side currently sits second in the HNL with 18 points from nine games, just one point behind Hajduk. They confirmed their strong start to the season last weekend with a 1-0 win over Lokomotiva, where the only goal was scored by Luka Mamić with an assist from Petar Bočkaj.
Šafarić was direct about what is needed for success in Split. "First of all, we have to respond to their aggression and pressure, impose ourselves and keep the ball," the manager said. "We are aware of this, we have done a good analysis and we know what we need to do."
Varaždin is unbeaten in their last five league matches, with a run of two wins and three draws. With 14 goals scored and only seven conceded, they have the best defense in the league alongside a positive goal difference of seven.
The manager gave a realistic assessment of his team's performance. "To be completely satisfied with the first round, considering everything we've shown on the pitch, we might be missing two or three points," Šafarić stated. However, he added that 18 points would have seemed unrealistic before the season, given the summer departures of key players. Their roles have been successfully taken over by other players, proving the squad's depth.
Petar Bočkaj confirmed the good feeling in the dressing room. "We've done a very good first round. We are playing very well, we have a good team," said Bočkaj. "[Hajduk] are certainly in a good mood and rhythm now..."
Šafarić acknowledged the opponent's quality but remained focused on his own team. "Hajduk has shown they have width and quality players, but if we are at our best, we will be competitive," he emphasized. Varaždin will rely on their stability and work ethic, not on media attention which, as Šafarić says, they often lack.
He particularly praised striker Luka Mamić, the team's top scorer with four goals. "He is a special player. Very few have the same level of commitment in training as he does, even when he's not playing," said Šafarić. Mamić scored the winning goal in the last match and was also key in the 2-1 win over Hajduk at home two months ago.
The match at Poljud will be a true test for the second-placed team, which has already collected six more points this season than in the same period last year. NK Varaždin travels to Split with the aim of taking over the top spot.
Read the full report at sportklub.hr
