Hajduk Split vs Dinamo Zagreb Prediction: Derby in a difficult period for the teams

The big derby is just around the corner, the biggest game in Croatian football, but its importance should be highlighted now. The Whites have a chance to get away before the big break, and Dinamo are in the role of a hunter, and a defeat would not sit well with them. If we go back to the not-so-distant past, we can conclude that Hajduk were often more satisfied after the derby lately. The atmosphere is slowly heating up before the most important game of the first part of the season. The Whites already won against the Blues in Zagreb at the beginning of the season, and now they want to do the same in front of sold-out Poljud stands.

Hajduk Split

Form: DDLWW

Under the leadership of coach Gennaro Gattuso, Hajduk scored 11 goals and conceded 5 in the last 6 games, and they are currently in the first position in the ranking with 29 points won, three more than the second-placed Rijeka. Hajduk are undefeated in the last 8 games at home, which is an extremely good streak. The only problem for coach Gattuso is the injury of Zaper, who is recovering from knee surgery and will not be available. They have already beaten Zagreb once in this championship and that triumph at Maksimir took them to the top of the table, where they are at this moment. However, Hajduk lost too many points that they shouldn't have and missed a big chance to move away to a big difference compared to their rivals. In the three previous rounds, Hajduk are winless with only two points won. First, they were defeated in Varazdin and then they played a draw with Istra in Poljud and away against Osijek. They lost 7 points in those three matches alone. However, the others also lost points, so Hajduk can't be desperate with their performances and form.

Dinamo Zagreb

Form: LDDWW

Dinamo Zagreb comes into this game after losing to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and their fans are hoping for a better result in the upcoming match. In that match, Dinamo had only 29% possession of the ball and 5 shots on goal, only one of which was on target. In the last 6 games, Dinamo scored 12 goals, meaning they averaged 2 goals per game. They currently occupy the third position in the standings with 25 points, one more than Varazdin, but they also have a game less. Dinamo are undefeated in the last 4 games away from home in the league. Still, coach Nenad Bjelica is facing problems in the lineup because Bruno Petkovic, Arijan Ademi, Josip Misic, Ivan Nevistic, and Petar Susic will not be in the squad for the derby due to injuries.

Expert Betting Tips

In the last five meetings between these teams, the most goals scored per game was just one, so I expect a similar scenario in this match. This will be a very uncertain match, where the result can go either way at any moment, and I believe that no more than two goals will be scored in the entire match. In the first part of the season, one goal was enough for Hajduk to take all three points to Split from the Croatian capital. I expect a similar result now, and I simply cannot imagine an outcome with a higher number of goals at a time when both teams are in bad momentum.