Borac Banja Luka will be looking to continue their impressive run against Široki Brijeg, having recorded 14 consecutive victories in their head-to-head meetings.
Široki Brijeg last defeated Borac on September 4, 2022, when they claimed a 2–0 victory at Pecara Stadium.
The upcoming match is particularly important for Borac, who moved back within reach of Zrinjski following their victory over Sloga and do not want their rival to open up another gap before the international break.
“This is an extremely important match for us, and we want to go into the international break in a good position. Široki are very aggressive on their home ground, so we have to be extremely careful and impose our style of play in order to achieve a positive result,” Borac head coach Vinko Marinović said.
Borac have endured a demanding run of fixtures in recent weeks, with fatigue becoming another factor for the team.
“There is certainly fatigue, but it cannot be an excuse. This is our third match in eight days. We need to play this match as well as we can and crown this period with a victory, which would mean a great deal to us,” Marinović said.
He added that Ćipetić has provided the team with additional options in the rotation, while Amar Milak and David Vuković have recovered.
“We will see whether we can count on them, while we hope Esiti will begin training during the break,” Marinović added.
Široki Brijeg made a coaching change ahead of the match, appointing Mario Toth as their new head coach.
“That will certainly bring an additional level of aggression because the players will want to prove themselves to the new coach. However, he has had little time, so I do not expect major changes to their system. Even if there are changes, we already had to adapt during our European matches and we have the quality to do so again,” Marinović said.
Following the match in Široki Brijeg, Borac players will receive several days off before returning to another busy schedule.
They are due to compete at the Mladen Žižović Memorial in Bijeljina on September 26 and 27, followed by a Republika Srpska Cup match and the Super Cup against Zrinjski, meaning there will be little opportunity for an extended break.
Source: Glas Srpske
