Osijek vs Hajduk Split Prediction: A new spectacle in Osijek

Opus Arena will witness another spectacle, the tickets are sold out very quickly and the players will have a great backdrop to play this very important match. Osijek opened the second part of the season with a victory against Rudes, while Hajduk were defeated by Rijeka in Poljud in front of packed stands and comes here looking for all three points to atone for that defeat. Defeat against a rival in the fight for the title and on the home field in front of sold-out stands is certainly painful, but that is not the only thing that affected the team from Split in that match. Before the end of the match, Marko Livaja was injured, who will not be in Osijek, and they were also without Sahiti and Sigur, who miss this visit due to cards.

Form: WWDLW

At the beginning of July last year, Osijek moved from the iconic Gradski Vrt to a new stadium that leaves you breathless at first sight. However, Osijek have already played 3 derbies at the Opus Arena and did not celebrate in any of them. First, they lost to Hajduk 0-1, then they led against Dinamo 2-0 until the last 20 minutes of the game, and in the end, they lost 2-3. In the last derby against Rijeka, they drew without goals. Everyone in Osijek hopes that the black streak has come to an end, and they are supported by the fact that Hajduk were defeated last weekend in Poljud in the Adriatic derby against Rijeka, which must have brought additional pressure to the team. Of course, not all roses are blooming in Osijek either, considering that in the winter transfer window, they were left without the team's best player, Mija Caktas, with whom they signed a mutual termination of the contract. With a record of 8 wins, 6 draws 6 losses, and 30 points won, Osijek sits in fourth place, 7 points behind Dinamo, who occupies the last place leading to the European qualifications, while they are 11 points behind Hajduk in second place. 

Form: LWDWW

Apart from the fact that they were defeated last weekend against Rijeka in the Adriatic derby by 1-2 (after a 1-0 lead), Hajduk were ousted from the leading position in the HNL precisely by Rijeka. But the troubles don't end there either. Against Osijek, they cannot count on the injured Marko Livaja, who has been confirmed to be absent from the pitch for at least 3 weeks. Along with Livaja, Karoglan cannot count on Sahiti and Sigur, and the performance of Moufi is also under question. However, so that everything is not so dark, Josip Brekalo could make his debut in this match, who could take Sahiti's place on the field. With 13 wins, 2 draws 5 losses and 41 points won, Hajduk are tied with Rijeka in first place, but due to the worse goal difference, they are in second place. 

In the last 5 meetings between these two teams, Hajduk have a huge advantage with 4 wins and 1 defeat. The last match between them went to Hajduk with a score of 0-1, and the match was played at the beginning of November last year at this stadium. Given the absence of Livaja from the Split’s team, without whom Hajduk only managed to beat Rudes and Tehnicar from Cvetkovac (cup match), we can expect some kind of trouble in Hajduks’s attack. Also, the departure of Caktas from Osijek will disrupt Osijek's transition game. Against such a crippled Hajduk, affected by absences, Osijek have a very good chance, of winning, but I think that this match will be very tense and will end in a draw, but both teams will manage to score a goal.