Radomir Đalović is on the brink of another achievement with Rijeka, but he must finalize it next Thursday in Thessaloniki. The Croatian champions secured a 1:0 victory against PAOK in the first match of the Europa League qualifying play-off round.

The decisive goal came from Luka Menalo, who converted a header from Niko Janković’s free kick in the 39th minute.

“This is a significant win for us. My players have proven they can compete against formidable teams. We played with discipline, and in the second half, we denied PAOK any opportunities. We have a solid base to build upon for the second leg. We need to be strong and resolute. There’s no time to rest, as we have Varaždin next,” Đalović remarked.

The winner of this two-legged tie will qualify for the Europa League, while the loser will remain in the Conference League.

Đalović’s squad faced elimination by Ludogorets in the Champions League qualifiers, losing in extra time during the second leg in Bulgaria, and were also knocked out by Shelburne from Ireland in the third round of the Europa League qualifiers.

Malmo edged closer to securing a spot in the Europa League, thanks to Sead Hakšabanović. The former Montenegrin international demonstrated his affinity for Sweden by scoring the first two goals in a 3-0 victory over Czech team Sigma Olomouc.

Macedonian club Škendija caused an upset in the Europa League by defeating Ludogorets 2:1 at home, while BiH champion Zrinjski fell to Uteht 2:0 at home, likely confining them to the Conference League.

Another Montenegrin player, Dino Islamović, also found the net in the qualifiers for the LK, helping Rosenborg secure a 2:1 win against German team Mainz in Norway.

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