Read our prediction for Rijeka vs Istra 1961 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 Rijeka vs Istra 1961 and you can increase your winnings!
Rijeka vs Istra 1961 Prediction & Betting tips
It is the last matchday in Croatia’s top division and an important decision will be made this weekend. The old and new title holder of the 1st HNL has become Dinamo Zagreb by a large margin. Behind it, however, three teams are still fighting for the vice championship, which entitles them to participate in the UEFA Champions League qualification.
These teams also include HNK Rijeka, who stalked the teams ahead with three wins in a row and still have a small chance of finishing second in the Croatian HNL table.
At the end of the season, the host welcomes Istra in 1961. The guests from Pula are still worried about staying in the class and have to assert themselves in the upcoming relegation.
Rijeka:
They have to ascribe to themselves that the host is worried about entering the Champions League. After 27 match days, the runner-up last year was again in second place in the table. However, a series of five games without a win put HNK behind the rivals from Osijek and Zagreb.
The home side are now in fourth place in the table with eighteen wins and seven draws from 35 games and a total of 61 points. Participation in the Europa League is guaranteed in any case.
The two teams in front of them are only one point behind. For a jump to second place and the associated Champions League qualification, the calculation is quite simple. The team of head coach Simon Rozman has to fulfill the duty task of the home win and at the same time hope that the two opponents separate in a direct encounter with a division of points.
After the compulsory break, Rijeka gave away important points in the home games against Zagreb (2: 2) and Gorica (1: 2), before another threesome came home. At the end of the season, things are going much better for the home side, because the last three games were all decided by the 2017 champions.
With 54 goals scored, Rijeka is the fourth best offensive in the league. Best scorer is Antonio Colak, born in Ludwigsburg, who has so far overcome the respective goalkeeper 14 times. With 40 goals conceded, none of the top teams received more goals than HNK.
Istra 1961:
The same procedure as last year! That could be the slogan of the past season for Istra 1961. Already last year, the green-yellow saved themselves only through the relegation and secured their relegation with a 2-0 home win against Sibenik.
Even in this season, it is not enough for the direct league to remain. With only five wins on the account and a total of 25 points, the men from Istria are again only in ninth place in the table and have to try to keep the class through the relegation.
Reasons for the poor performance can be seen by looking at the table. With only 25 goals scored, no other team was less successful than Istra. It hurt a lot that top scorer Mario Cuze returned to Dinamo Zagreb in January after the loan had expired. By then he had already scored seven goals on his account. With 55 goals conceded, only the bottom of the table received more hits than the team of coach Ivan Prelec.
Rijeka vs Istra 1961 head to head matches
07.06.20 1HN Istra 1961 Rijeka 1 : 3
24.05.20 CF Rijeka Istra 1961 5 : 1
08.12.19 1HN Rijeka Istra 1961 2 : 0
22.09.19 1HN Istra 1961 Rijeka 0 : 3
04.05.19 1HN Istra 1961 Rijeka 0 : 7