Rijeka vs Istra 1961 Prediction: Another round, another derby in Croatia

Despite the defeat against Hajduk, it can be said that Rijeka have had a great start to the season, which is not the case with Istria. The tight schedule is a problem for the home team, but it seems that Rijeka is ready to fight on all fronts. Istria does not have a commendable start, but neither is it a big reason to worry, it is the very beginning of the season. Rijeka outclassed Dukagjini in the Conference League qualification and now full of self-confidence welcomes Istra in the third round of the HNL. Istria managed to celebrate last year in Rijeka, and we will see today from 22:00 can they repeat it in this derby match.

Form: WLWWW

In the previous match of the strongest Croatian competition, Rijeka lost to Hajduk away with a score of 0:1. The only goal of the match was scored in the 50th minute, after which the visiting team failed to score a goal and return to the game. After playing two rounds in the SuperSport HNL league, Rijeka achieved one victory and experienced one defeat. In the second round of qualification for the Conference League, they defeated Kosovo's Dukagjin with a total score of 7:1. Their next opponent will be B36 Torshavn. The manager of Rijeka, Sergej Jakirovic, will be happy that he has no worries about physical fitness before this clash thanks to a completely healthy group of players at his disposal.

Form: LDWLD

In the previous round, Istra 1961 lost to Dinamo at home with a score of 0:3. The visiting team gained the advantage already in the sixth minute, and they doubled their advantage at the beginning of the second part of the match. The final score was set in the 69th minute and there was no change in the score until the end of the match. After playing two rounds, Istra achieved a draw and a defeat each. In the first round, they played to a draw against Lokomotiva with a score of 1:1, and after the meeting with Rijeka, they will have a match against Osijek, which means that they are playing against the best teams in the league round after round. Thanks to a completely healthy team that he can choose, Istria manager Mislav Karoglan has no worries about physical fitness before this match.

Rijeka are playing well at the beginning of the new HNL season, but the condensed schedule will definitely have an impact on Sunday's game. Istra won only one point after the first two rounds, which is not so disappointing considering the opponents. There is no doubt that Rijeka are the favorite in this match, as the odds show, but it will not be easy for the hosts to win. The last match between Rijeka and Istria ended 2-2 but I expect Rijeka to perform much better especially in the defense and to win at the end.