On the 17th matchday of the Croatian championship, HNK Rijeka welcomes Dinamo Zagreb to the Stadion HNK Rijeka. Can the Rijeka Whites make it two consecutive wins, or will they suffer a loss at the hands of the visitors?
Let's have a look at the latest Croatia 1.HNL predictions between HNK Rijeka vs Dinamo Zagreb, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!
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Form: WLLWW
Bowing out of the Croatian Cup round of 16 against second-tier NK BSK Bijelo Brdo on the road, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. The result was unexpected, and it appears that no trophy will be hitting their cabinet anytime soon.
Turning the attention to the Croatian championship, they edged out a 0-3 road victory against NK Varazdin and were somewhat at an advantage as their opponents found themselves hampered by the sending off of Lamine Ba in the 45th minute.
Their performance has been consistent, to put it mildly. In the last five games, they have won three, lost two, and earned a total of nine points. Though this season hasn't been a reflection of their fourth-place finish from the previous season, necessitating intervention will be required moving forward as they could find themselves roaming around the relegation zone.
They currently hold the 7th spot with 15 points, which is 8 points over the cutoff. A five-point deficit prevents them from moving up to the sixth spot, and they can only hope to maintain their position as Lokomotiva Zagreb are only three points away from overthrowing them.
Probable Starting XI
N. Labrovic (1); I. Smolcic (28), A. Vukcevic (12), M. Pavlovic (4), P. Alvarez (40), V. Hodza (25), P. Ampem (11), L. Selahi (18), A. Grgic (32), M. Vrancic (7), M. Frigan (24)
Dinamo Zagreb
Form: WLDWW
Unquestionably one of the most impressive teams in the Croatian championship at the moment, they recently cemented their dominance at home by defeating NK Sibenik 3-0.
Even though they lost to Osijek on the road two weeks ago, it's still relatively raw, but that hasn't stopped them from being utterly dominant as they attempt to regain their former prominence. They have been the most impressive group, having picked up 14 points in their last 7 away games despite only having one loss when playing away.
Making the most of the chance to seize on a win would be a bargain that would see them increase the point deficit against second-place HNK Hajduk Split to seven, with another opportunity emerging from the trenches that could see them consolidate their position at the top. With 38 points, they are currently in first place.
Probable Starting XI
D. Livakovic (40); J. Sutalo (37), S. Moharrami (2), D. Peric (55), L. Ivanusec (7), P. Bockaj (12), J. Misic (27), D. Spikic (77), B. Petkovic (9), J. Drmic (18), M. Orsic (99).
Match Facts
- In their last three meetings, HNK Rijeka has yet to defeat Dinamo Zagreb.
- In the Croatian championship, Dinamo Zagreb has scored in six of their last seven away games.
- The average number of goals scored in a match between HNK Rijeka and Dinamo Zagreb is 3.8.
- HNK Rijeka scores 1.69 goals on average at home, while Dinamo Zagreb scores 1.36 goals on average away.
Head-To-Head
HNK Rijeka has won 20 of the last 80 meetings, Dinamo Zagreb has won 41, and there have been 19 draws.
Expert Betting Tips
With their performance convincing enough to be competent against the visitors in this match, HNK Rijeka has struggled to adjust to the new season so far with the fact that they have only managed to win one of their last 8 away matches to raise doubt about their ability to put points on the board.
Dinamo Zagreb has a fantastic chance to take advantage of the hosts' poor home performance and secure all three points in order to solidify their position, which they will undoubtedly do as they are the better side on paper, bringing with them to the table unmatched quality and class.
Dinamo Zagreb has only lost one game while winning four and drawing two when playing away, which is impressive considering they scored 11 goals and amassed 14 points. However, for some reason, their defense has been the only area of concern, and in this case, a clean sheet is improbable. Both teams getting on the scoreboard should suffice.
- Both Teams To Score (Yes) for 1.85
- Goals - Over 2.5 for 1.64
- Corners - Over 9 for 2.25
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