HNK Rijeka secured a commanding victory in the Croatian Cup on Tuesday, thrashing Vrbovec 6-0 in the Round of 32. The team from Kantrida delivered a dominant performance and comfortably booked their place in the competition's last 16.
The match was effectively decided in the opening minutes. In the 6th minute, Vrbovec were reduced to ten men after a red card shown to O. Dansou, and just a minute later Josip Puljić opened the scoring from the penalty spot. A. Barco doubled the lead in the 13th minute, with further first-half goals from M. Mohebi in the 24th and another from Puljić in the 32nd making it 4-0 at the break.
Rijeka controlled the tempo in the second half, adding further goals through N. Janković in the 61st and A. Jurić in the 79th minute to complete the 6-0 rout. This win comes after a league draw with Lokomotiva and boosts the morale of a side currently sitting 5th in the HNL with 11 points.
The Rijeka manager highlighted his satisfaction with the players' professional approach post-match, stating it was a good foundation for the important derby against Hajduk. Rijeka now turn their attention back to league duties and host table-toppers Hajduk Split at Stadion Rujevica on Sunday, September 20th.
