HNK Rijeka secured their first European opponent, Derry City, after a match was interrupted by Bulgarian hooligans. Rijeka will return to the fortunate spot in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.

How it all started?

Derry City lost 2-1 to CSKA Sofia at their Brandywell home in the return leg of the Europa League first qualifying round, which gave them a 5-3 aggregate defeat and a double-header against Rijeka in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.

What happened on the pitch?

The match was interrupted when Bulgarian hooligans tried to break through the fence and clash with the home spectators. The punishment for Derry City's missed opportunities came in the 76th minute, when Ioannis Pittas scored a lob to equalize. Derry City attacked until the end, but failed to find the second goal for the extra time, and the Bulgarian team scored the final 2-1 in the 108th minute.

What's next?

Rijeka will return to the fortunate spot in the second qualifying round of the Conference League. The first match will be played on July 23rd at home, and the second match will be played on July 30th in Ireland.

Current status of Rijeka

HNK Rijeka currently occupies 4th place in the HNL with 53 points, 14 wins, 11 draws, and 11 losses from 36 played matches. Rijeka has shown solid performance in the last few matches and is expected to continue in that trend throughout the season.

Upcoming matches of Rijeka

Rijeka will face NK Varazdin in their next match, which will be played on February 6th, 2027. Rijeka currently occupies 4th place in the HNL, while Varazdin is in 3rd place.