FK Jablonec vs NK Varazdin

Varazdin began brightly and came within inches of taking a second-minute lead. Iuri Tavares burst down the left and cut the ball back to Luka Mamić, whose first-time effort from close range was parried by Jablonec goalkeeper Jan Hanuš — the save that ultimately preserved the clean sheet around which the home side built their victory.

The visitors controlled the opening 20 minutes, passing calmly out from the back and restricting Jablonec to speculative efforts. The home side's first sight of goal came in the 18th minute through a long-range attempt from midfielder Kehinde Okeke that never troubled Josip Silić.

The breakthrough arrived from a set piece in the 29th minute. Ivan Canjuga fouled Lamin Jawo on the edge of the Varazdin box, conceding a free kick from the right flank. Jiří Sláma's delivery struck the crossbar and rebounded onto the head of Varazdin captain Robert Punčec, who could not avoid the redirect. The own goal wiped out Varazdin's aggregate advantage — 3-3 with over an hour to play.

Jablonec sensed momentum and pushed for a second before the break. David Sedláček headed narrowly over the bar in the 39th minute, while Jawo saw a shot blocked inside the area.

The decisive second goal arrived in the 54th minute — again from a set piece. Sláma delivered a corner from the right and found defender Dušan Pavlović, who steered his finish past Silić. Sláma claimed his second assist of the night, and the Czech side led 2-0 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate.

Varazdin coach Nikola Šafarić responded by introducing forward Ivan Mamut for Tomislav Duvnjak, but the visitors could not break through. They enjoyed extended spells of possession in the second half but failed to register a shot on target that seriously troubled Hanuš after the opening two minutes.

Jablonec coach Luboš Kozel received a yellow card in the 81st minute as tension rose, but his side managed the closing stages without major alarm. Luka Škaričić and Iuri Tavares were introduced late for Varazdin but could not force the goal that would have taken the tie to extra time.

Punčec's 29th-minute own goal fundamentally shifted the tie. Varazdin arrived protecting a 3-2 aggregate lead and had looked comfortable in the opening phase. The equaliser on aggregate removed their cushion with over an hour remaining, forcing them to chase the game away from home. Once Pavlović made it 4-3 in the 54th minute, Varazdin needed two goals — a task that proved beyond a side managing just two shots on target across the 90 minutes.

• Jiří Sláma (Jablonec) — Player of the match: The architect of both goals from dead-ball situations. His free kick forced the own goal via the crossbar, and his corner delivery found Pavlović for the second. Two assists from set pieces decided the tie.

• Jan Hanuš (Jablonec): Produced the match's most important save in the 2nd minute, denying Mamić from point-blank range. Finished with a clean sheet in a one-goal tie.

• Dušan Pavlović (Jablonec): The defender scored the goal that ultimately settled the tie, rising highest to meet Sláma's corner in the 54th minute.

The provider data and BBC Sport's match summary show Jablonec converted two of their three shots on target — both from set pieces — while Varazdin failed to score despite enjoying the majority of possession. The visitors' failure to create a single clear-cut chance after the 2nd minute tells the defining story of the match: they controlled periods of play but could not penetrate a compact Jablonec defence that grew in confidence after the opening goal.

Varazdin's expected threat was concentrated in that early Mamić chance. After Punčec's own goal, the visitors' attacking structure unravelled — five substitutions were made but sustained pressure in the final third never materialised.

Jablonec advance to the UEFA Europa Conference League 3rd Qualifying Round with a 4-3 aggregate victory. They will face the winner of Paks (Hungary) vs DAC Dunajská Streda (Slovakia) in the next round.

For Varazdin, European football ends for the 2026/27 season. Their first-leg performance at Stadion Varteks on 23 July — a spirited 3-2 win — raised hopes of progression, but defensive vulnerability from set pieces across both legs proved fatal. Of the three goals Jablonec scored across the tie, two came from corner situations (Tekijaški in the first leg, Pavlović in the second), and the third was an own goal from a free kick.

Attendance at Stadion Střelnice was 4,423 (BBC Sport).

This tie was decided by set-piece efficiency and the weight of a single early chance missed. Jablonec were second-best for long spells but scored ruthlessly from the two moments that mattered. Varazdin will rue Mamić's missed opportunity after 120 seconds and their captain's misfortune, but the cold reality is that they created too little across 180 minutes of open play to deserve progression. Kozel's side march on, clinical where it counted.