HNK Rijeka vs Istra 1961 Prediction
Croatia · Regular Season - 4
AI Best Pick
Statistical forecasts for entertainment purposes only - not betting or financial advice.
HNK Rijeka vs Istra 1961: the result in context
HNK Rijeka beat Istra 1961 3-2 in the HNL on 23 Aug 2026. The two went into the match with similar recent form.
Their history points to a close game: 10 previous meetings produced 1.6 goals a game.
Match Forecasts
Match Events
Lineups
HNK Rijeka
Avg ratingAvg rating
99A. Todorovic
22A. Orec
C45A. Majstorovic
51A. Husic
23J. Lasickas
8I. Cubelic
26T. Dantas
19S. Vignato
10T. Fruk
4N. Jankovic
21J. Puljic
1F. Kolic
C97A. Kadusic
3M. Nasraoui
4R. Kumar
13N. Sepic
88D. Doumbia
8A. Mauric
22E. Frederiksen
80I. Saranic
30N. Skafar Zuzic
94H. JaganjacHNK Rijeka Substitutes
Istra 1961 Substitutes
Match Stats
HNK RijekaIstra 1961 Team Comparison
HNK RijekaIstra 1961AI Insights
Game State Tendencies
HNK Rijeka- Leads at half-time in 80% of matches
- Starts fast - scores more in 1st half (2.1 vs 0.9 in second half)
- Concedes more in 2nd half - can tire late
Istra 1961- Tied at half-time in 40% of matches
- Concedes more in 2nd half - can tire late
Head to Head
Last 10 meetings, all competitions
HNK Rijeka5Wins · 50%3Wins · 30%Previous meetings
17/05/2026Istra 1961HNK Rijeka15/03/2026HNK RijekaIstra 196120/01/2026Istra 1961HNK Rijeka27/09/2025HNK RijekaIstra 196119/04/2025Istra 1961HNK Rijeka
02/04/2025HNK RijekaIstra 196109/02/2025HNK RijekaIstra 196103/11/2024Istra 1961HNK Rijeka18/08/2024HNK RijekaIstra 196114/04/2024Istra 1961HNK RijekaRecent Form
HNK Rijeka
FC MidtjyllandHNK Rijeka
NK VarazdinHNK Rijeka
IlvesHNK RijekaHNK RijekaIlvesHNK Rijeka
Rudes
Derry CityHNK RijekaHNK RijekaDerry City
RadomljeHNK Rijeka
Brinje-GrosupljeHNK Rijeka
BravoHNK RijekaIstra 1961Istra 1961
NK Slaven Belupo
HNK Hajduk SplitIstra 1961Istra 1961
NK Lokomotiva Zagreb
LecceIstra 1961Istra 1961
Milton Keynes DonsNK VarazdinIstra 1961Istra 1961HNK Rijeka
NK OsijekIstra 1961Istra 1961NK Slaven Belupo
HNK GoricaIstra 1961Referee Profile
Compared with other referees
4.42 cards a match, in line with other referees in the same competitions and seasons (4.53).
Cards come from 113 matches with official statistics.
Full referee statsLeague Table
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | G | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HNK Hajduk Split | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 21:11 | +10 | 23 | DWWLW |
| 2 |  Dinamo Zagreb | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 25:13 | +12 | 22 | WWLWL |
| 3 | NK Varazdin | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 15:10 | +5 | 18 | LLWDD |
| 4 | NK Osijek | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 19:16 | +3 | 17 | LDLDW |
| 5 | HNK Rijeka | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17:14 | +3 | 17 | LWLWD |
| 6 | Istra 1961 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 19:18 | +1 | 13 | DLWLW |
| 7 | NK Slaven Belupo | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 14:23 | -9 | 13 | WLWDL |
| 8 | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 13:17 | -4 | 11 | DWLLD |
| 9 | Rudes | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14:27 | -13 | 10 | WLWDL |
| 10 | HNK Gorica | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7:15 | -8 | 7 | DDLWD |
| # | Team | MP | G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HNK Hajduk Split | 11 | 21:11 | 23 |
| 2 | Dinamo Zagreb | 10 | 25:13 | 22 |
| 3 | NK Varazdin | 11 | 15:10 | 18 |
| 4 | NK Osijek | 11 | 19:16 | 17 |
| 5 | HNK Rijeka | 10 | 17:14 | 17 |
| 6 | Istra 1961 | 11 | 19:18 | 13 |
| 7 | NK Slaven Belupo | 11 | 14:23 | 13 |
| 8 | NK Lokomotiva Zagreb | 11 | 13:17 | 11 |
| 9 | Rudes | 11 | 14:27 | 10 |
| 10 | HNK Gorica | 11 | 7:15 | 7 |
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About the HNK Rijeka vs Istra 1961 forecast
The forecasts for this HNL match are built from team Elo ratings, recent form, scoring data and the head-to-head record, and are updated as new data arrives before kickoff.
How to Read These Forecasts
Each percentage shows the model's calculated likelihood for that outcome. Above 65% indicates strong statistical confidence; 45-65% reflects a competitive, open match; below 45% suggests the outcome is statistically less likely. All figures are for informational and entertainment purposes only.
HNK Rijeka and Istra 1961 in the HNL table
HNK Rijeka and Istra 1961 are close in the HNL table, 5th and 6th, with 4 points between them. League goal record so far: HNK Rijeka 17-14, Istra 1961 19-18. The full standings are on the HNL Table 2026 page.
Key Factors for This Match
HNK Rijeka have led at half-time in 80% of their recent matches. This forecast is based on a complete recent-form dataset for both teams.
All forecasts are generated by statistical and machine learning models for informational and entertainment purposes only. They are not guaranteed and do not constitute financial or betting advice.