Zagreb take a scythe to Dolnośląski

• No way back for 2007 winners after Nikica Brujić's 13th-minute opener
• Arjan Rexhepi strikes twice in an impressive attacking performance from the Croatian side
• Next games: Zagreb v Eastern Region NIR, Dolnośląski v Württemberg (28 June)

Zagreb started well and kept on going, opening their UEFA Regions Cup Group B campaign with a comfortable success against 2007 winners Dolnośląski.

Coach Sreten Ćuk had been wary of taking too much from the fact that his side were joint top scorers in qualifying with 11 goals, but the Croatian representatives soon showed themselves to be fearsome opponents at this level, playmaker Božidar Karamatić's through-ball inviting captain Nikica Brujić to put them ahead on 13 minutes.

The Polish side had chances to level; Grzegorz Mazurek could not quite screw an angled shot inside the post after centre-back Mislav Čunčić was dispossessed, and went close again, almost connecting with Łukasz Maciejewski's deflected cross-shot. However, a Filip Rihtar drive at the end of the half that Dolnośląski goalkeeper Marcin Gąsiorowski just tipped wide proved to be a taste of what was to come.

Forward Arjan Rexhepi doubled Zagreb's lead on 75 minutes with a volley from outside the box, and pounced to score a second after Gąsiorowski made a brilliant save to deny Brujić. Bruno Špišić capped a superb afternoon's work for Zagreb, cutting inside to finish from outside the area in added time. Their upcoming Group B opponents should take the scoreline as a warning.

Nikica Brujić after scoring Zagreb's first©Sportsfile

Zagreb's Matej Vrbat comes up against Marcin Burylo of Dolnośląski©Sportsfile