Istra 1961 vs Rijeka Prediction: Derby della Ucka in Croatia

Istra 1961 and Rijeka will play as part of the 12th round of the Supersport HNL in the new “Derby della Ucka” on Sunday, November 3, 2024. This match will be played in Pula at the Aldo Drosina stadium and will start at 5 p.m. Rijeka are under bigger pressure as they are 4 rounds without a win in the league and are losing pace in the title race, while Istra are struggling to catch up with the teams from the upper part of the table.

Form: WLDWW

The players have a special desire to give their fans an excellent match at home because they know how much the “Derby della Ucka” means to them, says Istra 1961 coach Paolo Tramezzani before Sunday's match with Rijeka. Istria 1961 have a huge motive because of the great victory of 4:0 that Rijeka had in their first match this season in August. They play aggressive football, practically man-on-man all over the pitch, which is demanding, but they do it well, which means that Tramezzani has implemented it well in their game. I expect that Istria 1961 will play aggressively and high from the first minute, as they did in earlier matches on the home field. Istra are in 6th place with 12 points, 3 wins, 3 draws, and 5 defeats.

Form: DWDDD

The pressure is high in Rujevica. How could it not be, when the 12th round of the SuperSport HNL is on the schedule already on Sunday, in which Rijeka goes to the already traditional, closest to them away game, via Ucka? They have not known a victory for four rounds. It is quite certain that the team under the leadership of coach Radomir Djalovic will try to do everything in their power to cancel that, in this case, more negative record, tomorrow afternoon, but the duel in Pula, i.e. the regional derby della Ucka, will certainly not be easy. Rijeka are in 3rd place with 21 points, 5 wins, and 6 draws.

Rijeka won 4 times in the last 5 derbies against Istra, and they won the last three matches against their local rival. However, Rijeka aren’t looking good at the moment, and maybe it’s time for Istra to end the bad run against their neighbor. I expect an interesting duel, a match that demands a lot from players and I can see both teams scoring a goal in the match.