It’s the final Round in the winter phase of the competition; after this Round, teams go on winter break.

Gorica – Varaždin City stadium Velika Gorica 17:00

The upcoming match between Gorica and Varaždin is crucial for both teams. At the start of the season, neither team had high expectations, but Gorica has exceeded them and Varaždin has been playing well despite not winning consecutive games. Gorica is competing for a spot in the European competition, so a win would put them in a good position before the break. On the other hand, Varaždin needs a win to maintain confidence in their football philosophy, especially with Šafarić as the temporary coach.

Jeličić, Gorica’s coach, has some problems due to card suspensions. Krizmanić received a red card in the last match against Istra, while Jurić and Mrzljak are out for yellow cards. Ndockyt will be back from injury after the winter break. It will be interesting to see how Jeličić will compensate for the absence of these players and whether he will change their formation to a 442, or he will move Raspopović in midfield and stay in 433/4231 formation.

Šafarić, Varaždin’s temporary coach, has a better situation. Vukušić, Kolarić, Ba, and Elezi have been absent due to injury, but Brodić is back and will probably participate in the second half of the match. Šafarić may start the match with the same formation and lineup as the last game.

Varaždin will likely try to keep possession throughout the game, while Gorica’s players will play direct football after winning the ball. Varaždin’s goal is to withstand the first half, play well, and take complete initiative in the second half when Brodić enters the game. His entrance in the second half could be decisive for the match’s direction. So, it will be interesting to see whether Gorica’s compact defense and direct football or Varaždin’s professional approach will take the victory.

Lokomotiva – Istra 1961 Kranjčevićeva stadium (Zagreb) 14:50

In front of us is an exciting match between two very good teams. Both teams have players of similar quality and coaches with defined play styles.

Lokomotiva is expected to line up in their 4-2-3-1 formation. The only player missing from the starting eleven is Smakaj, who is injured.

Istra is likely to play in their 4-3-3 formation. The only probable absence due to injury is Kadušić, and Valinčić will probably take his place in the right fullback position.

Tactically, the match is expected to involve many possession changes and transitions. Goričan, Šotiček, and Tuci will likely try to exploit Istra’s high defensive line whenever possible. Similarly, Vuk, Erceg, and Matheus will also try to do the same.

Rijeka – Rudeš Rujevica stadium (Rijeka) 17:00

Rudeš is improving under their new coach, Mladina, while Rijeka is experiencing a bit of a decline.
Sopić is likely to bring back Selahi in the starting eleven, as it was evident in the last match against Belupo that the team was missing him. Rijeka is almost complete, with the exception of the left fullback position, where both left-legged players, Goda and Čabraja, are injured. Either Smolčić or Veiga may cover the left fullback position. Rijeka may lineup as they did previously before their winger’s injury in 415, with Selahi at the defensive midfield position and Pjaca, Janković, Fruk, and Pašalić in front of him.

Davor Mladina has instilled self-confidence in his team, as seen in the last match against Dinamo, where they had phases of domination and a few interesting chances for a goal. Oddei is a player to watch on the Rudeš team, despite having fitness issues, he can take on any player in the league one-on-one.

The game could take the form of Rudeš defending, but once they gain possession, they will likely try to keep the ball and create continuous attacks in an attempt to score.

Osijek – Slaven Belupo Opus Arena (Osijek) 14:30

In order to stay in the battle for European spots, Osijek needs to win their upcoming match against Belupo. However, Belupo’s recent success means that they are also contenders for the spot.

Osijek’s manager, Zekić, is likely to field a 4231 formation with Caktaš, Lovrić and Mierez in the starting eleven. Unfortunately, Fiolić is out due to injury, and Brlek won’t be playing due to a yellow card suspension.

Meanwhile, Slaven Belupo is expected to follow the same style they used against Rijeka. However, they will be missing Agbekpornu and Sušak due to yellow card suspensions. This could lead to Čović taking the goalkeeper spot and Liber’s place in midfield, with Šokaota or Caimacov in the winger position.

The game could either involve Belupo waiting in the low block and doing counterattacks, while Osijek has possession, or it could turn into a pure transitional game.

Dinamo – Hajduk Maksimir stadium (Zagreb) 14:30

Derby holds immense significance for Dinamo and Hajduk, with the former looking to secure a path to the championship and the latter hoping to extend their lead. Both teams are expecting a good atmosphere and form for the match. Dinamo has already secured their spot in the Conference League knockout round. Hajduk has been on a great winning run, except for their last match draw against Lokomotiva away. Dinamo has a deep team roster, and a few rotations could make up for their weak game against Balkani, with this week’s bicyclic periodisation serving as their advantage.

Jakirović has successfully standardised the team, although the game patterns are unclear. The attacking trio of Petković, Vidović, and Kaneko give Dinamo’s game extra quality. In the attacking phase, the midfield will probably take a V shape, with Mišić as the registrar and Ademi and Baturina as two number eights. Defensively, Jakirović will probably go for solid players, with Perić and Theopile taking the heart of the defence, right fullback Ristovski, and left Perković.

Karoglan’s team is facing some challenges, particularly with the absence of Žaper, a crucial defensive midfield player. Karoglan has to decide whether to replace him with Sigur or to play with two number six players, leaving Krovinović out. Moufi, Uremović, Šarlija, and Diallo will likely play in defence, while Dajaku, Sahiti, and Livaja will be the attacking trio.

Depending on the score, the team’s strategies may change during the game. If Dinamo gets a good start and score, Hajduk may have to react and play more offensivley. If Hajduk plays high defence, Dinamo’s attacking players will have more space to attack. Dinamo has a strong attacking set-piece, which could also be crucial in deciding the game.

The key match-up will be between Kaneko and Diallo and how Hajduk’s defence responds to crosses delivered to Vidović, Baturina, Petković and Ademi. On the other side, Livaja will be the target man, so his duels with Cathrine and Perić will be important. Additionally, Dinamo’s defence may struggle with Dajaku’s and Sahiti’s speed in transitions. Finally, if Hajduk has positional attack phases, Pukštaš will be a significant threat in the box on crosses.

It will be interesting to see how the game unfolds.