MOSTAR, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Interstat) — In a dramatic Europa League group stage contest on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, hosts Zrinjski overturned a second-half deficit to secure a 2-1 victory over Swedish side Hacken at Stadion Bijeli Brijeg.

The match, which defied a pregame projection of a 1-1 draw from Interstat’s game simulator, was ultimately decided by a frantic four-minute span late in the second half.

Hacken’s Silas Andersen, who entered the match as a substitute, broke a scoreless deadlock in the 40th minute, giving the visiting side a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. The goal came against the run of play, as Zrinjski had controlled much of the early possession but struggled to convert their chances.

The home side continued to press in the second half, and their persistence was finally rewarded in the 78th minute. Midfielder Igor Savić provided the assist for forward Mario Čuže, who found the net to level the score at 1-1 and ignite the home crowd.

The momentum shifted decisively in Zrinjski’s favor just four minutes later. In the 82nd minute, forward Nemanja Bilbija scored the decisive goal, completing the comeback and putting the Bosnian club ahead 2-1. The assist on the game-winner was credited to defender Ante Sušak.

The match was a physical affair, reflected in five yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Hacken’s Isak Brusberg was booked in the 8th minute, the earliest caution of the game. His teammates Pontus Dahbo and Mikkel Rygaard received yellow cards in the 45th and 70th minutes, respectively. For Zrinjski, Igor Savić was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute, and Ante Sušak received one in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.

The result gives Zrinjski a perfect start to their Europa League campaign, beginning the group stage with one win and zero losses. For Hacken, the loss marks a difficult beginning, as they now stand at zero wins and one loss in the competition. The victory also improves Zrinjski’s record across all competitions to one win and zero losses, while Hacken falls to zero wins and one loss.

The outcome aligned more closely with the probabilistic forecast from Interstat’s ELO system, which had given Zrinjski a 75.20 percent probability of winning the match. Key performances from substitutes proved pivotal, with Hacken’s Silas Andersen scoring his team’s lone goal and his teammate Mikkel Rygaard, also a substitute, recording an assist. For Zrinjski, the offensive contributions from its starting forwards, Čuže and Bilbija, combined with creative play from Savić and Sušak, were enough to secure the three points.