In the HNL competition on the 2nd of March 2024, the away team, NK Lokomotiva Zagreb, narrowly defeated NK Slaven Belupo on their home ground, finishing the game with a 3-2 victory. Based on the provided statistical factors and data, this victory was primarily dictated by the number of goals and the timeline in which they were scored.

NK Lokomotiva Zagreb burst into action from the first whistle, demonstrated by their first goal just 04:45 minutes into the first half. Scoring again only 16 minutes later at the 20:58 mark, they solidified their lead to 2-0 before the home team even had a chance to regain composure.

NK Slaven Belupo started the second half with a defiant spirit, scoring a goal 46:51 minutes into the game and again at the 64:16-minute mark, equalizing the match. However, NK Lokomotiva Zagreb didn’t falter, managing to snatch a crucial 3rd goal at the 73:03 mark, leading to their ultimate success.

Despite losing, NK Slaven Belupo showed a higher corner kick count with 6, compared to NK Lokomotiva Zagreb's 3. Although a higher corner kick count could indicate better attacking opportunities, the home team failed to capitalize on these chances, as evident from the final score. Offsides were minimized in this game, with each NK Slaven Belupo and NK Lokomotiva Zagreb only accumulating two and one offside respectively. This lower count might be an indication of a generally disciplined performance by both teams' offensive lines.

Disciplinary actions were numerous during the game, with 9 yellow cards shared by both teams. In particular, the home side NK Slaven Belupo received a total of 5 yellow cards, which is a significant number and might suggest they were under tremendous pressure defending their goal.

Ultimately, the critical factor that influenced the outcome of the match was the efficient execution of the goal opportunities by NK Lokomotiva Zagreb. The pressure they applied early in the game and their resilience in scoring the decisive goal in the second half truly made the difference. On the contrary, NK Slaven Belupo, despite their fighting spirit in the second half, will need to manage their possession more carefully, as corner kicks and fouls did not translate into sufficient goals to secure a win.

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