Olić after convincing win: “We achieved our goal, the three points were the most important”

The Young Vatreni defeated Lithuania 4–0 in Velika Gorica despite extremely difficult weather conditions and heavy fog that affected visibility for most of the match.

Croatia’s goals were scored by Fabijan Krivak, Lovro Zvonarek, and Leon Grgić, who stood out with a brace.

After the match, Olić emphasized that the team accomplished exactly what it had aimed for.

“We achieved our goal. The three points were the most important, and everything went as expected because we analyzed them thoroughly. They played all our previous opponents, so we had a clear picture of their style – a low block, countless duels and fouls, wasting time, and waiting for counterattacks. Our goal was to remain patient and score early to make our job easier. That’s exactly what happened. After 1–0, they pushed a bit higher, left us more space, and we had two great chances before the second goal.”

He also spoke about the difficult playing conditions.

“From the stands, you couldn’t see anything. On the touchline I could see a bit in the first half, and more clearly in the second. The referee decided we could play, and I’m glad it wasn’t postponed. A delay brings tension and uncertainty, so I’m happy the match was finished and that we secured the points.”

Olić also explained why Velika Gorica hosted the match.

“You have to register the venue and kickoff time weeks in advance. Once that’s done, you can’t change it. The fog came down in five minutes — some things you simply cannot control or predict. I feel sorry for the spectators at the stadium and those watching on TV.”

Attack efficiency delighted the coach

Olić was especially pleased with the team’s attacking output.

“It finally opened up. We hit two posts and created many chances. I’m very glad for Grgić, who scored twice. We practiced attacking the near post — that’s how we scored the first goal and his first goal as well. And the fourth goal came from a set piece, which always makes me happy. I can only congratulate the boys on earning the three points. We had to win this.”

Croatia now travels to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday, 18 November.

“It will be a very tough match. Hungary haven’t lost a game and they’ve scored at least once in every match. But I believe we’ll play well and take another step toward the Euros.”

Olić also highlighted the strong cooperation with the senior national team staff and mentioned Adrian Jagušić, who recently received a preliminary call-up from Zlatko Dalić. He also noted the return of Anton Matković after a long injury break.

He commented on the Croatian U-17 team competing at the World Cup in Qatar:

“I was in Qatar for their first two matches. We always have interesting talents — some of them will reach the U-21s and later the senior team. We’ll be cheering for them on Saturday.”

Two-goal hero Leon Grgić was pleased with both the victory and his own performance.

“I’m very happy about the two goals, but the most important thing is that we won because it wasn’t easy. They were defending very well at first, so the early goal was crucial. We had more chances later — we could have scored even more. It’s easier now after this win, but we want to beat Hungary too. We are going for another three points.”

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