NK Istra 1961 Pula

vs

NK Slaven Belupo

Preview

Istra

• Istra are 6th in the HNL 2026/2027 with 0 points from 1 game and need to bounce back from a bad start, while Slaven are 9th with 0 points from 2 games and already this will be a 'must-win' fixture.
• Javi Cabello took over the reigns of the club in June 2026 and looks to have started to make Istra a much more rigid team, more capable of closing up shop and more capable of having control of the ball.
• Istra's record at home in the HNL 2026/2027 is as follows: W0 D0 L1, while they're conceding an average of 3.00 goals per game.

Slaven

• Mario Gregurina has been in charge of Slaven since July 2025 and has taken his team in the opposite direction, making them a more high-energy side that presses the ball and tries to overload the midfield.
• Slaven are W0 D0 L1 away from home in the HNL 2026/2027 and score 0.00 goals per match while conceding 2.00 per game.
• Slaven arrive off the back of a 4-game losing streak, culminating with a 2-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb last time out, and a heavy 1-4 home defeat to Varaždin in the opening round of the HNL 2026/2027.

Head-to-Head

• The head-to-head record is relatively even, with Istra taking the edge with their 3-1 win at home to Slaven in the HNL 2025/2026 campaign, just 3 months ago.
• Istra have won 1 of the last 5 H2Hs, while Slaven have won 2 and 2 have drawn.
• Slaven have failed to win any of their last 3 trips to Istra.

Key Players

• In their 1 HNL 2026/2027 appearance, Emil Frederiksen has scored 2 goals for Istra and 2 of the team's 3 goals in the last 5 matches.
• Filip Kruselj has scored 2 of Slaven's 3 goals during the same 5-game spell.

Betting Insights

• We're supporting Under 2.5 goals at 1.8 and Both Teams To Score - No at 1.98 as the main selection for this game.
• The odds tell a different story with Istra 2.12 favourites, Slaven 3.4 and the draw at 3.3, but all of the information available suggests that this will be a tight matchup.