NK Lokomotiva Zagreb

vs

NK Varazdin

Preview

Lokomotiva Zagreb

• Lokomotiva Zagreb have the better record in HNL 2025/2026 with six wins, three draws and three defeats from 12 home games, but Varazdin have struggled somewhat away from home with four wins, two draws and six defeats from the same number of games.
• NK Lokomotiva Zagreb have conceded 14 goals in 12 home league games while NK Varazdin have conceded 17 times in as many away matches, an average of 1.42 goals per away game in HNL 2025/2026.
• Lokomotiva, currently seventh with 29 points from 24 games, have been a work in progress since Nikica Jelavic took charge in July 2025 and the former Croatian international has been quick to apply a pragmatic, shape-shifting 4-2-3-1 system based on rapid transitions and wing overloads.
• Lokomotiva have won each of their last two home games, including a 3-1 success over Osijek.

Varazdin

• Both teams have been in mixed form over the last five with two wins, one draw and two defeats, although Varazdin suffered two straight losses to Rijeka and Dinamo Zagreb before last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Hajduk Split.
• Varazdin are fifth in the table with 33 points, but Nikola Safaric has implemented a very different approach since joining in December 2023, preferring a more structured, possession-based game in which full-backs overlap, the ball is passed with patience and width is used to create chances.

Head-to-Head

• The head-to-head record is tilted toward Varazdin, who have won two of the last three meetings in HNL 2025/2026, including a 4-2 home victory two months ago.
• However, they have failed to win on their last two visits to Lokomotiva Zagreb.

Key Players

• Aleks Stojakovic is Lokomotiva’s leading scorer with eight league goals in 23 appearances, but they have several players capable of getting on the scoresheet.
• Ivan Mamut has netted eight times for Varazdin in the league, including two in his last five, so he is a constant threat up front.

Betting Insights