Preview
Osijek will continue their preparations for the new season with another test at the Opus Arena. Having already faced Hungarian opposition in Paks and Honvéd, as well as Azerbaijani side Neftçi, they will now take on domestic opposition in the form of second-tier club Cibalia. The fixture will provide head coach Federico Bessone with another opportunity to assess his squad’s physical condition and tactical development.
Cibalia, however, are facing serious difficulties. Financial problems recently put their participation in the second division into question, while the club has also seen a major exodus of players, with as many as 13 members of the squad departing:
❌Pervan (33/6) – third-highest scorer
❌Zabeć (32/11) – second-highest scorer
❌Bosak (31/3)
❌Sopić (31/3)
❌Stapić (30/2)
❌Kuzminski (28/0)
❌Galić (27/0) – first goalkeeper
❌Grujević (25/1)
❌Britto (22/0)
❌Brlek (21/2)
❌Godec (13/0)
❌Meštrović (7/0)
❌Mekić (5/0)
The scale of these departures is particularly significant, considering that this will be Cibalia’s first friendly match of the pre-season. With Osijek already having several matches under their belt and possessing a clear advantage in terms of squad quality, preparation and match rhythm, I expect the hosts to secure a convincing victory.