Hajduk Split vs Rijeka Prediction:Тhe Аdriatic derby

Hajduk and Rijeka will meet on Sunday at Poljud for the third time this season and the team from Split will try to continue their winning streak.

Hajduk defeated their Adriatic rival twice, first on September 14 in Poljud with a score of 2:0, and then on October 2 with a score of 1:0 in Rujevica. It was Hajduk's fourth consecutive victory in the Adriatic derbies if we include the Cup final played on May 26 last year in Split.

It's not going well for Rijeka in the derbies this season, but not only in the derbies, because they performed below every level in the autumn. But in clashes with the members of the Croatian big four, they were particularly in a bad mood. In six of those attempts, Rijeka managed to remain undefeated only once, with the fact that they did not achieve a single victory. They were defeated twice by Hajduk, twice by Dinamo and once by Osijek.

It is an important game for Hajduk after the defeat in Pula in the last round. But it would have been also important if the Whites had left Pula victorious, and much more now when they are looking for redemption, and when the biggest rival for the title lost points. Hajduk are in 2nd place with 38 points, 8 points less than Dinamo. Hajduk are very confident at home and have 7 wins and 2 draws so far.

This time, Rijeka comes as an outsider in the Adriatic derby. However, on the other hand, Rijeka comes relieved and can satisfy their ambitions after 90 minutes with a good result or a quality game if they do not take a positive result. Rijeka have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Unlike Hajduk, which have a lot of pressure and only one option available - victory. There is no other choice if they want to pursue high ambitions. Rijeka are in 8th position with 19 points. At the beginning of the season they were among favorites for top half finish, but they played very bad in the first part of the season.

Hajduk have been dominant in this derby encounter recently, and it should be the same in this match. The better form, home stadium, and opportunity to reduce the gap between them and Dinamo are reasons enough to bet on the home win in this match. Rijeka opened the second part of the season well, and this match will be true test for them to see how much they are improved.