Rijeka vs Istra 1961 Prediction: Interesting local derby

Rijeka, after two consecutive away games and two great victories in Velika Gorica and Split, will finally perform for the first time in the new year in Rujevica in an official match, and they will be visited by an often-dear guest, Istra 1961. The match is scheduled for Sunday starting at 17:00 in the framework of the 21st round of SuperSport HNL. On Friday, Rijeka received the good news that the fans wanted football after the winter break, so three days before the match, the east and west stands of the stadium in Rujevica were already sold out. So, there is no doubt that the regional derby della Ucka will be played in a real football atmosphere at the almost completely sold-out Rujevica.

Form: WWDDL

No one expected that after the departure of coach Jakirovic to Dinamo, Rijeka would manage to make such a success in the first part of the season. With 41 points won, they are in 2nd place in the table, with 4 points more than Dinamo. By winning against Hajduk in Split in the previous round after they were down 1:0 (1:2), they made it clear to everyone that they are a very serious candidate for the championship trophy. That the club's ambitions increased after the victory at Poljud is also shown by the fact that the former top scorer of the league, Mirko Maric, arrived on loan from Monza. At one time, the Italians paid Osijek seven million euros for him. They have won 3 consecutive wins in the league, and it is clear that they are currently playing in the best form in the league. With 38 goals scored, they are the second-most-efficient team in the league.

Form: WLLWW

Istra 1961 are very lucky that there is a worse team than them this season since in recent years they have been fighting for survival almost until the last round. After 20 games played, they won 18 points and are currently in the penultimate place. This season they achieved 4 triumphs, and in the last 2 matches, they recorded 2 defeats. In the last round, Dinamo were better than them at home with a score of 0:1. With 35 goals conceded, they are the second-worst defense in the league.

Tradition, strength, quality, the current moment, everything is on the side of the hosts, for whom a victory over Istra would be a confirmation of all the good things they did in the last two games, that is, a confirmation of a great start to the season and a full-fledged fight for the highest goals. Even though Istra showed fighting spirit against Dinamo, I think that Rijeka are much better team at the moment and a confident home win is my pick for this match.