HNK Gorica (Home)
- HNK Gorica sit 7th with 19 points from 18 games, but a win on Monday would lift the hosts into the top half of the table and back on track after a poor spell of form.
- Gorica have lost three of their last five league games.
NK Varaždin (Away)
- NK Varaždin are just three points above Gorica in 6th with 23 points from 18 matches, and a win on Monday will push them further into the upper half and closer to the European spots.
- Varaždin have been in mixed form, beating Lokomotiva 4-2 at home and Rijeka 1-0, but losing to Dinamo Zagreb and Istra 1961 1-3 away.
Head-to-Head
Varaždin have fared slightly better against Gorica in all competitions in recent times, winning 10 , losing eight and drawing 8-9 from almost 30 games , but the pair are very evenly matched, making for tight matchups like we expect on Monday.
Key Players
- Mario Carević has set up Gorica to be a tough nut to crack, with a flexible defensive line that sets up either a 3-4-3 or 5-4-1, depending on the matchup.
- Gorica keep their lines narrow and look to keep things compact, ceding possession and trying to hit on the break or at set-pieces.
- Nikola Šafarić has been able to put a lot of his own imprint on Varaždin, installing a balanced, proactive possession-based style, which involves the full-backs providing width, playing direct balls into the striker and overloading the centre of the pitch.
- The tempo and flow of the game should be dictated by Varaždin on Monday, and it will be up to Gorica to try and play ‘cat and mouse’.
Betting Insights
- The bookmakers price Varaždin as slight favorites at 2.12, with Gorica priced at 3.4 and the tie at 3.1.
- The Both Teams To Score market at 1.85 seems fair, given four of the last six meetings have seen both teams score and multiple games have finished with three or more goals.
Prediction
We think Varaždin should edge this clash, but a tight game is expected with momentum ebbing and flowing.
