Infine, nel secondo tempo, il duro arachide

The defending champions of the Slovenian Cup, Aluminij, failed to retain their title after suffering a dramatic elimination at the hands of second-division side Brežice. In a match filled with late drama, the visitors led by two goals before conceding four times, ultimately losing 4-2 following extra time. This result marked the latest in a series of upsets that have seen six top-flight clubs exit the competition early this season. Other notable exits included fourth-time cup winner Koper, which fell to lower-league rival Tabor Sežana, and Nafta, which was defeated by Kranjski Triglav on penalties. The defeat for Aluminij was particularly painful given their earlier dominance. Playing away in Brežice, the team took control of the game in the second half. However, their lead evaporated rapidly. Matija Boben was sent off in the 41st minute, leaving Aluminij with ten men for the remainder of the contest. Despite being a man down, the visitors struck twice to take a 2-0 lead. Adriano Bloudek scored from a penalty in the 53rd minute, followed by a goal from Rok Schaubach in the 58th minute. It appeared the match was decided until the home side launched a furious comeback. Just over a minute of play was required for Brežice to level the score. In the 81st minute, Tomaž Brdik converted a penalty to make it 2-1. One minute later, Lev Sirk equalized for the hosts. A second yellow card shown to Effiom Otu in the closing moments of regular time did not prevent the complete turnaround. The match proceeded to extra time, where Jaka Hervol and Sirk both found the net to secure a 4-2 victory for Brežice. In another surprising result, Koper continued its recent trend of falling to local rivals. For the second consecutive year, the fourth-time cup holders were eliminated by Tabor Sežana. The match ended 1-0 in favor of the underdogs, who compete in the Second National League. Matevž Medič Slaček scored the decisive goal in the 83rd minute. Meanwhile, Kranjski Triglav advanced past Nafta after winning a penalty shootout. Both teams had drawn during regulation and extra time, with scores of 1-1 in each half and 0-0 in extra time, leading to the decisive kicks. Top-flight representation survived through several other matches. Celje, the current league leaders, traveled to Prevalje to face third-division side Korotan. Korotan had previously eliminated Maribor earlier in the tournament, making them a dangerous opponent. Celje struggled to break down the defense, hitting the crossbar twice in the first half. They remained scoreless until the 71st minute when Armandas Kučys broke his scoring drought. Following a loss of possession near the box by the home team, Kučys finished the move close range. Svit Sešlar sealed the 2-0 win in the 82nd minute with a long-range shot that caught the goalkeeper off guard. Brinje Grosuplje also secured a spot in the round of 16, defeating Videm 2-0. Nikola Jovićević scored both goals for the visitors, opening the scoring from a penalty in the 21st minute and adding a second in the 61st minute. Ljubljana’s Bravo delivered a dominant performance against Velesovo-Cerklje, winning 7-0. Goals came from James Arinze, Okpo Mazie, Sandi Nuhanović, Aldin Jakupović, and Rok Kopatin. Radomlje edged out Podvinci 1-0 thanks to an eighth-minute strike by Seydou Bangura. Other results saw Tolmin beat Grad 3-0, with goals from Puriel and Gaberšček. Čarda Martjanci lost 5-1 to Fužinar Ravne, while Rače defeated Ormož 3-1. Svoboda Ljubljana won 1-0 at Litija, and Dob triumphed 4-1 at Turnišče. Odranci beat Marjeta 3-2, and Šenčur defeated Krško Posavje 3-2 in extra time. Bistrica held off Bilje 4-3, and Beltinci crushed Tromejnik 5-0. The round of 16 matchups have been determined. Brežice will face Kranjski Triglav, while Tabor Sežana plays Fužinar Ravne. Rače meets Kalcer Radomlje, and Beltinci takes on Celje. Tolmin faces Brinje Grosuplje, Bravo plays Odranci, Roltek Dob meets Bistrica, and Svoboda Ljubljana faces Eltron Šenčur. The rapid elimination of top clubs has reshaped the tournament landscape significantly.