It was a season in which the blues stormed to the championship title with a massive 21-point advantage over their nearest rivals, Hajduk. On that victorious path, a win at Poljud also shone brightly, where Croatia at the time triumphed 2-1. The team was led from the bench by the legendary coach Otto Barić, and the Maksimir players played openly from the start with the aim of taking all three points. The blues took the lead in the 16th minute when Edin Mujčin played through Igor Cvitanović, who ran clear of goalkeeper Tonči Gabrić, rounded him and scored to give his side the lead. The match was played in strong winds which favored the blues in the first half, but helped Hajduk in the second. Despite this, Croatia extended their lead in the second half. In the 60th minute, Cvitanović was preparing to take a corner kick on the northeast side when flares and various objects were thrown at him from the stands. After some hesitation, Cvitanović eventually took the corner, crossing into the box where the home side managed to clear outside the penalty area, but Srđan Mladinić headed the ball back into the box. There, Silvio Marić escaped the defense, collected the ball, broke clear of the goalkeeper and from about ten meters out on the left, struck with his left foot into the far corner. The home side reduced the deficit in the 67th minute when Tomislav Erceg ran clear of goalkeeper Dražen Ladić, rounded him and found the net. Just three minutes later, Cvitanović had an excellent chance to become a double scorer. Mark Viduka skillfully set him up in front of goal, but Cvitanović didn't connect properly with the ball, got underneath it and missed the target. In the final minute, the home side could have equalized when Darko Jozinović hit the post. After this match, the blues increased their lead over second-placed Hajduk to a significant eight points. Although nine long rounds remained until the end of the championship, the Maksimir players continued their winning rhythm, recording eight victories and one draw in those nine games. In the entire season, they had just one defeat, and that was back in October when they were beaten at Maksimir by Mladost 127 from Suhopolje 3-2.