Ghanaian forward Maxwell Boadu Acosty netted a late goal as Rijeka overcame Maltese top flight side Balzan Youth in a pre-season friendly encounter.
Rijeka went into the game with the aim of continuing from where they left off last season in the Croatian top flight league - where they finished second to Dinamo Zagreb.
Matjaz Kek's side indeed had a dream start after Croatian striker Jakov Puljic put them ahead with just four minutes on the clock.
Balzan came out strongly in the second department of the match and had a deserved equalizer through Milos Lepovic in the 54th minute.
But as the match looked like ending in a draw, Maxwell Acosty rose highest to grab a win for the Croatian giants in the 88th minute.
The former Fiorentina forward will hope to improve his stats in the coming campaign after netting seven goals in 28 appearances in all competitions in his debut season with the side.