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Osijek vs Rijeka Prediction & Betting tips
HNK Rijeka has not been recognizable since the restart. The reigning runner-up and Croatian cup winner only scored five out of 15 points and was surprisingly defeated by HNK Gorica 1-2 at home on Friday. Even before the game between Osijek and Rijeka, the odds of the bookmakers speak against the guests, as the odds comparison on a betting basis reveals.
Both teams can still view the runner-up championship behind high-flyer Dinamo Zagreb as their goal. Osijek is fourth, one point behind second place. The Riječki bijeli are in fifth place with just one point less.
An away win in the east of the country and the runner-up would be back on track. In the case of Osijek against Rijeka, however, the prognosis must take into account that Rijeka suffered a 2: 3 defeat in their last away game at Gradski Stadium.
In connection with the latest negative series, there is a lot to be said for Tip 1 at Osijek against Rijeka. Further betting recommendations for the most interesting international football matches of the current week are available on a betting basis under Betting Tips Football International.
Osijek:
The NK Osijek presented itself extremely well in time for the restart of the 1st HNL. In the five games since the involuntary interruption of the season, the blue-whites (Croatian “Bijelo-plavi”) had to accept a single goal, which did not count in the 2-1 home win against HNK Gorica.
In total, the third of the previous season scored eleven out of 15 possible points and overtook today’s guest from Rijeka in the current table last weekend.
The kickers from Croatia’s northeast would be fourth in the second qualifying round for the Europa League 2020/21, but could theoretically climb to second place with another three, which entitles them to participate in the Champions League qualification.
At Osijek against Rijeka, a tip on the home win of Ivica Kulesevic’s team is under a good star if only because the blue and whites in the 15 home games in the 1st HNL were still without home defeat (eleven wins, four draws).
An important piece of the puzzle of the current success is the strong defense of Osijek. Only 26 goals from the 31 league games give the blue-whites the second best defense in the country, while the goal recovery with 42 goals is quite impressive.
Special mention should be given to 25-year-old superstar Mirko Maric, who was involved in 19 goals and five assists in more than half of all the league goals of the blue-and-whites. It will also depend on him whether the strong home series of the team from the Croatian northeast can secure a big point in the fight for the runner-up championship.
Rijeka:
HNK Rijeka is on the verge of completely wasting a good season. The Riječki bijeli initially returned very strongly from the season break.
First of all, they beat today’s opponent Osijek 3-2 in the Croatian cup semi-final at home and thus secured the renewed participation in the final. And then the 3-1 away win at Istra was also successful in returning to the 1st HNL.
Afterwards, for some reason, sand got into the gearbox. The reigning runners-up and cup winner scored only two out of twelve possible points from the last four games, in which, to top it all off, Varazdin, Lokomotiva Zagreb, Slaven Koprivnica and HNK Gorica went against teams that had previously been beaten.
For four league games in a row, the men from northwest Croatia have been waiting for another three. A dry spell, which is reflected in the odds at Osijek against Rijeka, where the squad of Simon Rozman is noted as an outsider.
All 25 players of the senior team are currently ready for action, which is why the inexplicable form and result crisis cannot really be explained by the rotation constraint in view of the tightly timed schedule. After all, the reigning reigning champion is also well staffed in terms of quality.
After all, the away record of Riječki bijeli is impressive. The current runner-up finished second in the away table and scored the second most away goals behind high-flyer Dinamo Zagreb. Although it is now the second best home defensive of the 1st HNL, Simon Rozman’s men did not, of course, arrive completely without chance.
Osijek vs Rijeka head to head matches
31.05.20 CUP Rijeka Osijek 3 : 2
22.02.20 1HN Rijeka Osijek 1 : 0
03.11.19 1HN Osijek Rijeka 3 : 2
18.08.19 1HN Rijeka Osijek 1 : 1
15.05.19 1HN Osijek Rijeka 2 : 1