NK Istra 1961 Pula (home)
- The home side's form has been mixed with 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss in their last 5 matches, but there seems to be a confidence that is building after they drew 2-2 with HNK Hajduk Split away and beat NK Slaven Belupo 3-0 at home.
- Cabello has been in charge of Istra since 9 June 2026 and the Zeleno-žuti seem to be embarking on a braver, more progressive rebuild.
- Istra's attacking shape is more vertical and creative than Dinamo's at present, but they don't seem to press as relentlessly or in as well-structured a manner so they could be exposed by the faster pace that Dinamo play at.
- Istra have 1 win and 1 loss from 2 home matches in HNL 2026/2027, averaging 2.50 goals for and 1.50 goals against.
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb have 9 points from 3 games in HNL 2026/2027, NK Istra 1961 Pula have 4 points from 3.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (away)
- Kovacevic has been in charge of the Modri (Plavi) since 4 June 2025 and they have been a well-drilled, 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 side that controls the ball and midfield.
- They press well and strike quickly after turnovers in a similar fashion to what Dinamo Zagreb did under Mario Kovacevic, although there is more of an all out pressing game at the moment.
- They drew 2-2 away at Viking Stavanger in their UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026 campaign before getting back to HNL 2026/2027 business with a 3-1 win over NK Varazdin.
Key Players
- Dion Drena Beljo is the home side's main threat and has 5 goals in 3 HNL 2026/2027 appearances.
- Emil Frederiksen has 3 in 3 HNL 2026/2027 and he has 3 goals in Istra's last 8, compared to just 5 for the rest of the squad.
Betting Insights
- Dinamo are favourites to win in the HNL 2026/2027 at 1.41, with Istra 6.75 and draw 4.9.
- An away win is the obvious bet here, but Istra's solid home record means it's not a free bet and 1.41 is not tempting in any way.
Prediction
Over 2.5 goals , however, is worth a small play as it should accommodate the attacking force of Dinamo and Istra's open nature at home.
