- The hosts have won 3 of their last 5 matches, while Lokomotiva Zagreb have won 3 of their last 5.
- Both sides have won twice each in the last 5 head-to-head clashes, with one draw.
- NK Varazdin have won both of their last 2 home matches in HNL 2025/2026.
A tight matchup between two of the division’s best
NK Varazdin are currently 3rd in the HNL 2025/2026 standings with 47 points from 33 games, an extremely consistent points haul from a tight and difficult league. They come into this fixture off the back of a 2-game losing streak, both defeats coming in tough away trips to the top two sides in the division.
Nikola Safaric has done a fantastic job at NK Varazdin since taking over in December 2023, his high-energy, high-pressing style of football suits the players he has at his disposal and he has instilled a level of tactical discipline to the team that had previously been lacking.
The hosts typically line up in a 4-2-3-1, which focuses heavily on compact pivot roles in midfield, quick transitions, and intense pressing. Ivan Mamut has been the main source of goals, netting 9 times in 25 appearances in the HNL, but Iuri Tavares is the one in red-hot form at present, having found the net 3 times in Varazdin’s last 7 goals across their previous 5 matches.
Lokomotiva Zagreb sit in 5th place with 41 points after 33 games, 6 points behind their opponents this weekend. They are in decent form, having lost just 1 of their previous 5 games, drawing once and winning 3.
Nikica Jelavic has done an excellent job since taking the reigns at the club in July 2025; he has implemented a more pragmatic approach with more tactical discipline.
Lokomotiva can be extremely flexible in their attacks, often utilising wing overloads to create chances, and their structure is disciplined, but they make up for it with vertical transitions.
Aleks Stojakovic is the top scorer for the visitors with 8 goals in 32 HNL appearances, but Blaz Boskovic has slotted in with a brace of vital goals over their most recent 5 fixtures. These two sides are both very similar, and both are evenly matched, as seen in their most recent encounter, a 1-1 tie at Lokomotiva’s ground, which sets the scene for an intriguing NK Varazdin vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb preview.
Our NK Varazdin vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb prediction is that this encounter promises to be closely contested due to both teams' tactical discipline and recent performances.
Varazdin are the most likely winners
While the sides have both won twice each in their 5 most recent meetings, Lokomotiva Zagreb have failed to win either of their most recent 2 away games against Varazdin. The visitors have had an excellent away form of late, taking 4 points from their most recent 2 games on the road, but they have struggled across the season, winning just 2 of their 16 away games in HNL 2025/2026 (W2, D7, L7). In terms of the NK Varazdin vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb prediction, the visitors' away struggles may again prove critical.
Varazdin have been strong at home, winning 8, drawing 5 and losing just 3 of their 16 home matches in the HNL 2025/2026. Given their current form and record at home, as well as Lokomotiva’s poor away form this season, the NK Varazdin vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb betting tips suggest that the home side is the best bet to take the win at odds of 2.22.
Varazdin have scored an average of 1.44 goals per game at home in HNL 2025/2026, while conceding an average of 1.25 per game. This fixture has all the ingredients for an exciting game of soccer and the final NK Varazdin vs NK Lokomotiva Zagreb prediction is for a competitive, high-energy clash, with plenty of goal-mouth action expected between two high-quality sides, over 2.5 goals is currently 1.76 and both teams to score is 1.6, suggesting plenty of goal-mouth action.
