NK Varazdin vs Beltinci

Beltinci coach Simon Dvoršak made three substitutions at half-time, introducing Mlakar, Drk and Antolin in a bid to change the rhythm. The visitors improved significantly after the break, creating several clear chances. Marin Rantaša and Gibson Okocha both tested the Varaždin goalkeeper, but the hosts' defence held firm.

Beltinci thought they had pulled one back in the 85th minute when Černe found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Two minutes later, Kaučič's header from a corner beat the goalkeeper but was cleared off the line by a Varaždin defender. The two disallowed and denied goals in quick succession effectively ended Beltinci's hopes of a comeback.

Iuri Tavares (Varaždin) — The Cape Verde forward opened the scoring with a composed finish in the 8th minute, setting the tone for Varaždin's dominant first-half performance.

Luka Mamić (Varaždin) — Scored the second goal with a well-timed header from a counter-attacking move, and forced a good save from Moćić before finding the net.

Moćić (Beltinci) — The Beltinci goalkeeper made several important saves, particularly from Mamić in the first half, keeping the scoreline respectable.

Gibson Okocha (Beltinci) — One of Beltinci's more dangerous attacking outlets in the second half, creating chances that went unfinished.

Player of the match: Iuri Tavares — his early goal settled the match and gave Varaždin control from the outset.

Varaždin scored both goals from open play inside the first 30 minutes, reflecting their first-half intensity against a side two divisions below them. Beltinci had the better of the second-half chances — including a disallowed goal and a goal-line clearance — but lacked the cutting edge to convert territorial pressure into a goal. The 2-0 scoreline flattered Beltinci's second-half improvement but accurately reflected Varaždin's clinical first-half finishing.

Varaždin, who finished third in the SuperSport HNL last season under coach Nikola Šafarić, continued their pre-season preparations for a campaign that includes UEFA Conference League qualifiers. The Croatian side began summer training on 22 June and this was part of their build-up to European competition. Beltinci, coached by Simon Dvoršak, are preparing for the 2026-27 Slovenian Second League season. Both sides used the friendly to test squad depth — Varaždin made only two substitutions, while Beltinci made eight changes across the match.

A professional first-half display from Varaždin decided this friendly before the interval. Beltinci's improved second-half performance offered encouragement for Dvoršak, but the Slovenian second-tier side lacked the quality to trouble a Croatian top-flight team preparing for European football.