NK Istra 1961 vs HNK Hajduk Split Prediction: The Green-Yellows To Suffer Their First Defeat Of 2023

HNK Hajduk Split will be looking for their second victory of 2023 when they travel to Stadion Aldo Drosina to lock horns with NK Istra 1961 in the Croatian Championship's 19th matchday.

Let's have a look at the latest Croatia 1.HNL predictions between NK Istra 1961 vs HNK Hajduk Split, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

NK Istra 1961

Form: DLWWD

Their return to competitive action this year was not what they had hoped for, as they were held to a scoreless draw at home by NK Slaven Belupo, and despite being the dominant side in all aspects of the game and with the odds in their favour, their inability to score proved to be their undoing.

Prior to the break, they were met with an unfortunate ordeal in the Croatian Cup round of 16, where they were eliminated from the prestigious competition by NK Rudes recording a 2:1 loss despite being bookmakers' favorites to come out on top with a convincing victory.

In their last five home games, Gonzalo Garcia's team has struggled to maintain consistency, winning just once, 1:0 against HNK Gorica. Prior to that, they went through three games without a victory, drawing 1:1 with HNK Rijeka, losing 2:1 to Lokomotiva Zagreb, and drawing 0:0 with HNK Sibenik. However, their defense has stood out, keeping three clean sheets while only allowing three goals.

They are currently in sixth place with 21 points and will likely fancy their chances of pulling off an upset by defeating in-form HNK Hajduk Split, which could consolidate their position in the standings.

HNK Hajduk Split

Form: WDWDW

The season has been rather generous to Ivan Leko's men, who have currently maintained consistent form throughout their games in the Croatian championship, which sees them on a 13-match unbeaten run with eight wins and five draws to accumulate 29 points.

Their recent home match against HNK Sibenik saw them eke out a 2:1 victory to seal all three points thanks to a late goal from Marko Livaja in the 85th minute, and this follows their 2:2 draw over NK Slaven Belupo on the road prior to the break.

While they were at one point on a two-match losing streak when playing away, losing 4:1 to reigning champions Dinamo Zagreb and 2:1 to NK Osijek, those results served as a motivational boost that has them currently on a five-match unbeaten run when playing away, recording two wins and three draws.

Given that Dinamo Zagreb recently suffered a setback in their recent match, their recent victory over HNK Sibenik at home has reduced the point differential in their pursuit of a first-place finish to just four points. They will undoubtedly jump at the chance to win this match and narrow the point differential to just one point. They currently have 38 points, placing them in second place.

Match Facts

• In their last four games, HNK Hajduk Split has not lost a game.
• NK Istra 1961 has scored in five of their eight home games in the Croatian championship.
• NK Istra 1961 has yet to win a game in its last five meetings with HNK Hajduk Split in the Croatian championship.
• In a match between NK Istra 1961 and HNK Hajduk Split, the average number of goals scored is 3.2.a
• NK Istra 1961 averages 0.94 goals per game at home, while HNK Hajduk Split averages 1.81 goals per game away.

Head-To-Head

In the last 57 meetings, NK Istra 1961 has won 10 times, HNK Hajduk Split has won 35 times, and there have been 12 draws with a goal difference of 106-42 in favor of HNK Hajduk Split.

Expert Betting Tips

NK Istra 1961 will try to return to winning ways, but that won't be as simple as they anticipated as their track record at home against their opponent hasn't been all that impressive to the eye as they are without a win in their last four games, only managing to eke out a draw during that time.

After claiming their first victory of 2023, HNK Hajduk Split will be looking for a second one to close the four-point gap between them and the table-toppers, Dinamo Zagreb. From the looks of it, they are once again favorites with bookmakers to eke out another victory, this time on the road against a team they've dominated, winning three of their last four away games against them.

In order to avoid making matters more complicated, we like HNK Hajduk Split's chances of winning in the full-time market because we believe NK Istra 1961 won't pose much of a threat to Ivan Leko's team. HNK Hajduk Split has the quality in their ranks to inflict misery on their opponent in this match.

• W2 for 1.68
• Goals - Over 2.5 for 1.95
• Corners - Over 8 for 1.70