Rijeka vs Varaždin — match summary
Croatia · 1. HNL · kick-off 1 Nov 2026 21:00
Full time · score 1-1
pPS pre-match readiness (0-100): Rijeka 56 · Varaždin 38
mPS in-play performance (0-100): Rijeka 49 · Varaždin 29
Shots on target 4-2 · corners 11-0 · possession 69-31
NextGOAL tip: Varaždin +0.75 · 2 stars
Rijeka meet Varaždin in the Croatian league, with the hosts on 17 points from 10 matches, sitting 4th, while the visitors have 18 points from 11 matches, one place above them. Recent meetings have been odd too, because Varaždin have won three of the last five encounters, including the most recent 2-0 win, so this fixture is not the home-side mismatch that reputations might suggest. Rijeka lost 1-2 in their latest league match, but before that they won comfortably at home. Their attack can still be trusted because their goals per game average is clearly higher than their opponents'. Meanwhile, Varaždin are not flashy but they rarely come off badly. Their defence is stubborn and they score less, but the 0-0 draw in their last match shows they prioritise solidity above all. In this game we should see Rijeka dominate the ball and push forward, while Varaždin set up in a block and wait to counter. The first half is likely to be cagey rather than open, because both teams tend to start cautiously, but if the hosts still cannot break through and let the visitors settle into their defensive plan, the game will drift further towards what the visitors do best.