NK Osijek (home)
- This Friday’s match in Osijek sees HNL 2025/2026’s 4th-placed team take on the 9th-placed team, with Varazdin having 41 points after 29 games, four points more than the 28 Osijek have accumulated.
- Both teams have been in inconsistent form recently, winning two, drawing two and losing one of their last five, but the visitors have the better head-to-head record and have been the more consistent side in the league.
- Tomislav Radotic took charge of NK Osijek at the end of February 2026 and has so far instilled a damage limitation, pragmatic style on the side.
- The first of those was a bruising 7-0 defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb, but Radotic’s team came back with a lot of spirit in their next match, a 2-0 away win over Rijeka, so it is hard to know what to expect from them in this Friday’s game.
NK Varazdin (away)
- Varazdin play a solid 4-2-3-1, but the difference between them and Osijek is that they have a real identity, with collective discipline, rapid transitions and structured pressing to force opponents into errors.
- Varazdin’s last two outings have seen them draw 1-1 at home to HNK Gorica and beat Slaven 2-1 at home, but they have picked up just four wins, three draws and seven losses in their 14 away matches this season.
Head-to-Head
- NK Varazdin have won the last two meetings between these two sides in HNL 2025/2026, including a 2-1 home victory two months ago.
- NK Osijek have won only three of 14 home matches in HNL 2025/2026, drawing six and losing five.
Key Players
- Nail Omerovic is the most dangerous player in the Osijek attack with eight goals in 28 HNL games, but he has scored two of the last three goals for his team and seems to find his goal-scoring instinct when his side really needs it.
- Ivan Mamut is their most potent attacking player, with nine goals in 25 HNL matches this term, while Aleksa Latkovic has also found his goal-scoring rhythm recently, hitting three of Varazdin’s last seven in his last five appearances.
Betting Insights
- Varazdin are the favourites to edge a win in a low-scoring game, so the odds of 3.08 for an away win on Friday are great value.
- Under 2.5 goals is also likely, but the odds of 1.67 are unattractive, as are the 1.85 for both teams not to score.
Prediction
- The contrasting styles of these two teams and the adjustments made by Osijek after their recent setbacks should make for a very interesting tactical battle on Friday.
- Varazdin will look to hit Osijek on the counter and can edge a tight, low-scoring game.
