Read our prediction for D. Zagreb vs Rijeka below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between D. Zagreb vs Rijeka and you can increase your winnings!
D. Zagreb vs Rijeka Prediction & Betting tips
What is in the Bundesliga Bayern against Dortmund, that is in Croatia these days doubtless Zagreb. Rijeka. Riječki bijeli secured the very first championship in the first HNL in 2017 and also won the Hrvatski Nogometni Kup in parallel, for which of course the current opponent from the state capital could be beaten in the grand finale Nose in front. In 2018, Dinamo Zagreb grabbed the double and relegated Rijeka to the pitch, before in 2019, at least in league mode, everything has long been decided. The squad of Nenad Bjelica has a run of 23 points ahead of runner-up HNK Rijeka, who now wants to do his utmost not to give the dark blue the double again, but at least to secure the Croatian Football Cup. It will be played this season in the stadium Aldo Drosina in Pula.
On the part of bookmakers, Dinamo Zagreb is named the clear favorite in the odds against Rijeka. A very remarkable assessment, because although the history between the two clubs is not too long, have the Bijeli the 19-time Croatian national champion so many times successfully set limits. So Dinamo Zagreb vs. Rijeka must be included in the prognosis that so far there has been twice a final match for the most important football trophy in the country of the reigning Vice World Champion. And both times in the end the alleged underdog secured the overall victory in Hrvatski Nogometni Kup. On this basis, even in a dominant season with only two defeats at the national level, it will probably be anything but an automatic run for the Modri to allow the championship, which has long been in the towel, to follow the trophy. All the more lucrative and interesting is Dinamo Zagreb vs. Rijeka Tip 2 to play at highly attractive odds.
Dinamo Zagreb:
Although in the last few weeks here and there a bit of sand in the otherwise smoothly functioning gear of GNK Dinamo Zagreb advised as in the 1: 2 defeat in Osijek end of April. This is understandable, however. After all, the Modri, with a remarkably weak competition in the 2018/19 season, have practically hovered in their own spheres from beginning to end in the first HNL. The leadership of the standings was never in any way in jeopardy. Also because old rivals like Hajduk Split have not been able to celebrate a league title for 14 years, and upstart HNK Rijeka has been successfully kept low this season.
But: At least in the foretaste of the final in the Hrvatski Nogometni Kup 2018/19, there was only a goalless draw at the stadium Rujevica on 11 May. On the one hand, this result is understandable and at least the team of Nenad Bjelica has not lost there, what with Dinamo Zagreb. Rijeka would have been able to affect the tip. On the other hand, the Bijeli showed the favorites in this match again that they can move quite on par with the Croatian record champions.
All the more exciting is the question of whether the alleged favorite now manages to defend the double again for the first time in seven years. Most recently, the Modri secured two championships and national cup wins in series in 2011 and 2012. Brisant, as the great rise of Rijeka began only in the season, when the club from the Croatian port city in 2013 by Pro-Recco owner Gabriele Volpi was purchased and then millions supported. If Dinamo Zagreb can successfully defend the double for the first time in the era of Rijeka, national domination would be 100% back in the hands of the Modri. Also because the championship at 23 points lead a game day before the end of the season this year was driven in as safe as not long. And yet: Nenad Bjelica’s team played five out of the 35 matches in the first HNL season 2018/19 in 28 wins and lost twice. Three of these seven games without a win (two draws and one defeat) will go to the account of the current final opponent, who has never been beaten in the finals of the Croatian Cup …
Rijeka:
Overall, the 2018/19 season was a bit disappointing for HNK Rijeka. After the first Croatian championship in club history two years ago and the conceivable tight runner-up in the previous year, the Bijeli were crystal clear in this season in second place – and had to fight for this position even to the end. Thus, the runner-up has been lashed on just one of six possible points from the meetings against Zagreb and Osijek last Saturday by the 1-0 victory in the last home game of the season over Lokomotiva Zagreb. A placement with which the upstart now wants to return to the international arena, where the 2018/19 season was also a disappointment. So failed Rijeka surprisingly in the qualifying round of the Europa League at the later group opponent of RB Leipzig, the Norwegian underdog Sarpsborg FF.
However, this season’s somewhat more marked performance gap, which also affects the odds between Dinamo Zagreb and Rijeka, has not come entirely out of nowhere. So had the Bijeli last summer and also in the winter to draw some achievers and lost with Filip Bradaric, Héber, Josip Elez, Stefan Ristovski and Tomislav Gomelt important cornerstones in all parts of the team that were not even rudimentary replaced adequately. The higher the performance of Igor Biscan’s team is actually to hang. Finally, the Bijeli offered in this season in all four comparisons the overachieving Dinamo Zagreb strong paroli and ultimately lost just seven of the 35 league games so far, which is at 20% quite an impressive low rate.
Nevertheless, it is clear that HNK Rijeka – if you want to repeat the championship of the year 2017 sooner or later – must strike in the summer in the transfer market. So it is important to keep in addition to urgently needed new commitments and the current staff somehow. For example, the Hoffenheim loan Antonio Colak is back in the Kraichgau from the 2019/20 season, while Jakov Puljic, who arrived at the start of the season by Inter Zapresic, is reported to be heading into a larger European league shortly before the jump. Since the additional revenue from the Croatian club Cup would certainly be right, especially since of the potential fifth overall victory in Hrvatski Nogometni Kup also a certain radiance would go out. After all, two of the previous four cup victories at the national level ran for the Riječki bijeli on a final victory over the overpowering Modri. In the stadium Aldo Drosina in Pula there is no reason for the alleged outsider to hide.
D. Zagreb vs Rijeka head to head matches
11.05.19 1HN Rijeka D. Zagreb 0 : 0
10.03.19 1HN D. Zagreb Rijeka 3 : 1
24.11.18 1HN Rijeka D. Zagreb 1 : 0
02.09.18 1HN D. Zagreb Rijeka 1 : 1
28.04.18 1HN D. Zagreb Rijeka 0 : 1