NOVO MESTO, Slovenia (Interstat) — NK Krka scored twice before halftime and added another goal after the break to beat Vrhnika 3-0 on Tuesday at Stadion Portoval in Novo mesto. The home side scored in the 34th and 42nd minutes, then protected its advantage despite being reduced to 10 men early in the second half. Vrhnika could not find a response and finished the match without a goal. The visitors remained scoreless through the closing stages as NK Krka closed out the home victory.

NK Krka opened the scoring in the 34th minute and doubled its lead in the 42nd, sending the hosts into halftime with a two-goal cushion. The third goal arrived in the 73rd minute, restoring the home side’s control after Vrhnika had tried to push forward following the sending-off. NK Krka’s red card came in the 49th minute, leaving the hosts to manage the final 40-plus minutes with a one-man disadvantage. Even so, Vrhnika was unable to convert its numerical advantage into a goal. The dismissal was the only red card recorded in the match.

The result left Vrhnika with a competition record of 4 wins, 7 losses and 2 draws. NK Krka’s competition record stands at 3 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw. Both teams’ records across all competitions are identical to their competition marks: Vrhnika is 4-7-2 overall, and NK Krka is 3-8-1 overall. The home side’s victory was its third win in the competition this season, while Vrhnika remained on four wins.

Vrhnika entered the match after a 2-1 home loss to Beltinci, a 1-0 loss at Jadran Dekani and a scoreless home draw against Krsko Posavje. Earlier in the season, Vrhnika had a 5-0 loss at NK Jesenice and a 2-1 home win over ND Primorje Ajdovscina. Vrhnika also recorded a scoreless draw at Slovan B and a 4-2 home win over Velenje. Other results included a 2-0 loss at NK Kety Emmi&Impol Bistrica and a 2-0 home win over Dravinja.

NK Krka came in following a 2-0 loss at Bilje, a 2-1 loss at Ilirija and a 2-1 loss at Tabor Sezana. NK Krka also lost 3-0 at Beltinci and 2-1 at home to Dekani. The club had a 1-0 win at NK Krsko Posavje and a 2-0 home win over Jesenice. NK Krka also lost 3-2 at ND Primorje Ajdovscina, lost 3-2 at home to Slovan B and lost 3-0 at Velenje.

Vrhnika’s upcoming schedule includes a trip to NK Krka, a home match against Ilirija, visits to Bilje and Triglav, home games against Tabor and Brezice, a trip to Dravinja, a home match against NK Kety Emmi&Impol Bistrica, a visit to Velenje and a home game against Slovan B. NK Krka is set to host Vrhnika before visiting Triglav, hosting Brezice, visiting Dravinja and NK Kety Emmi&Impol Bistrica, hosting Velenje, visiting Slovan B, hosting ND Primorje Ajdovscina, visiting Jesenice and hosting NK Krsko Posavje.

At Stadion Portoval, NK Krka’s two first-half goals gave the hosts a cushion that Vrhnika could not erase. The third goal in the 73rd minute ended any remaining doubt, and NK Krka held Vrhnika without a goal for the full match. The red card in the 49th minute did not prevent the home side from finishing with a clean sheet. Vrhnika remained without a goal after the break and could not cut into the deficit despite the extra space created by the dismissal.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of NK Krka 1, Vrhnika 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected NK Krka with a 65.6 percent probability to win. NK Krka had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.