NK Varaždin
- NK Varaždin are 2nd in the HNL 2026/2027 table with 12 points after 5 games.
- Nikola Safaric's Varaždin have bounced back well from their 3-1 away defeat to Dinamo Zagreb by beating Rudes 2-0 at home yesterday and they are a very solid, solid team that play with a controlled tempo, press selectively and have a main man in Ivan Canjuga - who has netted 3 times in 5 HNL 2026/2027 matches and has scored 3 of the home side's last 9 goals.
- Varaždin have a perfect 3 wins from 3 home record in the HNL 2026/2027, conceding just 1 goal.
NK Istra 1961 Pula
- NK Istra 1961 Pula are 7th in the HNL 2026/2027 with 5 points from 5 matches.
- Javi Cabello's Istra are going in the opposite direction to their hosts, evolving towards a more high-press, energetic style of play that has seen them control the ball more and be more aggressive in transition.
- Istra arrive here after beating Slaven 3-0 at home, losing 3-2 to Rijeka on the road and drawing 2-2 with Dinamo Zagreb at home.
Key Players
- Ivan Canjuga - who has netted 3 times in 5 HNL 2026/2027 matches and has scored 3 of the home side's last 9 goals.
- Emil Frederiksen, the club's livewire, has 4 goals in 5 HNL 2026/2027 games and makes them a serious threat up front - ahead of Varaždin's Canjuga for goals so far this season.
- Hamza Jaganjac has been just as hot, netting 4 of his side's 10 goals in their last 5.
Head-to-Head
The previous meeting, a 2-0 victory at the Stadion Varazdin three months ago in HNL 2025/2026, was closer than the score reflects as Istra won 3 of the previous 5 meetings.
Betting Insights
- Varaždin have a perfect 3 wins from 3 home record in the HNL 2026/2027, conceding just 1 goal, so I am going to go against the odds in the betting here by taking the match total under 2.5 goals at 2.15 as a play on the hosts' stifling defence and a tight, tactical game.
- Varaždin are a good team, but Istra are no pushovers and the draw looks like a big price at 3.75 - especially as they have won none of their 2 away games in the HNL 2026/2027, shipping 2.50 goals per match on average.
Prediction
The correct score guess of a 1-0 home victory reflects the fact that the Bumbari have been solid at the back, but Istra are trying to push the pace.