- Osijek are winless in their last five matches, with four defeats and a draw.
- Lokomotiva are in mixed form with one win, two draws and two defeats from their last five games.
- The last two head-to-head meetings between these clubs have been draws, including Lokomotiva’s 1-1 tie at home against Osijek two months ago in HNL 2025/2026.
Osijek are the regional ambassadors of verticality and fluidity
NK Osijek are the division’s best exponent of the vertical football philosophy, and head coach Zeljko Sopic has done little to change that since he took charge at the end of October 2025. The NK Osijek vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb prediction will certainly take into account Osijek’s struggles for momentum this season, as they head into Sunday’s clash with 10th place and 10 points from 13 games. Sopic’s side have won once, drawn twice and lost two of their home HNL 2025/2026 fixtures, averaging just 0.80 goals per home match, so there’s much scope for improvement.
They have drawn their only home match in the last month, against NK Varazdin, failing to score. On the road, a 4-2 defeat to Rijeka and a 2-0 loss to Hajduk Split have been recent results.
A 4-2-3-1 formation is standard for Osijek, who look to play on the front foot with wingers and the number 10 driving forward and pressing the ball, trying to force turnovers and win the ball in advanced areas. Their most prolific player over the past five games has been Simun Mikolcic, who has netted twice, two of Osijek’s four goals in the same period.
Lokomotiva looking to emulate their solid set-piece threat
Lokomotiva are having a much better season overall, sitting 6th with 17 points from 13 games. But Nikica Jelavic’s team come into this game on the back of a 1-2 home loss to NK Istra 1961, a 4-1 away defeat to HNK Gorica and a 1-1 home draw with Slaven. The NK Osijek vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb preview further highlights Jelavic’s impact, as he has instilled a pragmatic style on Lokomotiva, with a flexible, but structure-first system, rapid vertical transitions and a set-piece style that have taken the Zagreb club to 6th in the standings.
On the road, Lokomotiva have won once, drawn three and lost twice in HNL 2025/2026. In those six trips, they have averaged 1.17 goals per game, conceding 1.83. Away from home, Jelavic’s men have drawn and lost their last two, but head to a ground where they have not won in their last two visits.
Goals at both ends look likely
Lokomotiva’s top scorer this season is Aleks Stojakovic, who has bagged three goals in 13 HNL 2025/2026 outings. He’s bagged two of them in their last five, almost half of the team’s goals during that period.
According to the latest NK Osijek vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb prediction, Osijek are the bookies’ favorites at 2.12, with Lokomotiva available at 3.31 and the tie at 3.34. Given Osijek’s issues at home and Lokomotiva’s lack of form on the road, our NK Osijek vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb betting tips suggest going for a tie.
The two teams have very different styles, with Osijek representing the region’s verticality and Lokomotiva its pragmatism. This NK Osijek vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb prediction points to a fascinating midfield chess match, but given both teams’ recent porous nature, we’re also going for the Both Teams To Score market at 1.7.
