In the opening match of the ninth round, the last of the first stage of the championship, Radnik’s footballers will host Široki Brijeg this evening at 6 PM at the City Stadium in Bijeljina.
Dusko Vranešević’s squad has collected nine points from the previous eight matches, while their opponent has five more, which is why the Bijeljina team’s coaching staff is calling for caution.
“Široki Brijeg has traditionally been a very tough opponent for Radnik, so it would be great if we could secure all three points. However, we are aware that it will be far from easy, as the Herzegovinians have shown this season that they have a strong team and high ambitions. On top of that, they are coming to us after two big home wins against Sarajevo and Željezničar,” Vranešević emphasized.
For this match, the home side will not be able to count on the injured Felix Osei Agyemang.
“All the others are available. We have a wide enough roster, and now it’s about choosing the winning combination that can bring us victory. I believe the players are also aware of the importance of this match and that everyone I trust with a place on the pitch will give their maximum,” Vranešević continued.
The duel against Široki Brijeg will be the first in a series of three home games for the Bijeljina Premier League side.
“After Široki Brijeg, we face Željezničar and then Sarajevo. Truly, three difficult challenges. Of course, like any coach, I would like to win all three matches, but that’s not something we’ll think about right now. First, we’ll test ourselves against Široki Brijeg, and then we’ll turn to the duels with the Sarajevo clubs. A win against the Herzegovinians would be an excellent way to close out the first stage of the championship, and with those three points, we would reach 12, which would realistically fulfill our goals for the first quarter of the season,” Vranešević added.
In the other ninth-round matches of the Premier League, the last of the first stage of the season, the following games will be played:
- Saturday: Željezničar – Sarajevo (6:30 PM), Velež – Zrinjski (8:30 PM)
- Sunday: Posušje – Borac (5:30 PM), Rudar Prijedor – Sloga (7:45 PM)
Source: Glas Srpske
