NK Lokomotiva Zagreb

vs

NK Slaven Belupo

Preview

NK Lokomotiva (home)

• NK Lokomotiva Zagreb are unbeaten in their last three games, and this week’s home fixture against Slaven Belupo will be a crucial match in their HNL 2025/2026 campaign.
• Nikica Jelavic took over as Lokomotiva’s head coach on the first of July in 2025 and has immediately installed a clear identity on the club.
• A back three with wing-backs and a 3-4-2-1 system, they control the ball in the middle third and use their numerical superiority in the wide areas to launch rapid transitions on their opponents.

Slaven Belupo (away)

• Slaven Belupo’s system is more high-intensity, with Mario Gregurina installing a compact 4-2-3-1 on his arrival on July 1st, 2025.
• His team are instructed to press high, recover the ball and counter vertically.
• Slaven have lost four and drawn one of their last five matches, including three consecutive away defeats.
• They have lost each of their last three away games.

Recent meetings

• Slaven have a slight edge in the head-to-head record between the clubs, winning two and drawing one of their three meetings in all competitions in 2025/2026.
• The meetings included a 5-3 victory at home in the Croatia Cup 2025/2026 five weeks ago.

Key Players

• Aleks Stojakovic is their danger man, top-scoring with eight goals in 28 HNL appearances this season.
• Adriano Jagusic is the most dangerous forward in the team, with seven goals in 20 HNL matches this season.

Betting Insights

• The home side have the advantage of momentum and the odds of 2.2 for a home victory seem favorable given that Slaven have not been strong away from home in the 2025/2026 campaign.
• Slaven's away record in the HNL 2025/2026 is two wins, six draws and seven losses from 15 matches and 29 goals conceded.

Prediction

• Lokomotiva should have the momentum to win.
• The contrast in styles will make this an intriguing fixture as Lokomotiva’s structured possession and transitions clash with Slaven’s counter-pressing and high-intensity pressing.