- First leg: Jablonec won the 1st Leg 3-2 in Croatia but NK Varaždin's momentum is better ahead of the 2nd leg.
- Style: Varaždin are a more direct team and are better on the break and in transition.
No home advantage for Jablonec
Form and momentum
Jablonec's 3-2 away win in the first leg was a good result on the road, but NK Varaždin will still feel they can nick the tie on Thursday. Varaždin bring a much better momentum to the clash, winning their last 3 games, while Jablonec have just 1 win and 4 defeats in their last 5.
Jablonec tactics
Lubos Kozel has been Jablonec's head coach since July 2024 and usually sets his side up in a 3-4-3 or 3-4-1-2 formation, with the wing-backs providing much of their width. The hosts are a compact side that likes to pinch the ball in midfield and create chances from the turnovers, wing-backs and set pieces, with Martin Cedidla their spark in the middle.
Varaždin tactics
Nikola Safaric has been in charge of Varaždin since December 2023 and has clearly found a good formula for his team. They are a more straightforward team than Jablonec, who play a compact, centre-first game, trying to nick control in midfield and strike through wing-backs, turnovers and set pieces. Varaždin have looked sharp and they press the ball hard, looking to pounce on mistakes and create goals from transitions.
Back Varaždin to pinch the tie
The home advantage in this fixture isn't working out for Jablonec, with a poor home record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats, so we'll back the visitors to nick the game at 4.52 rather than go with the hosts at 1.71 and the draw at 4.2.
The clash of styles should make for a real chess match – Jablonec like to control the game, while Varaždin will be more direct. Varaždin have been in really good form in all competitions (W6, D2, L2 from their last 10) and their 1st leg loss will give them some real bite on Thursday.
Over 2.5 goals at 1.62 and both teams to score at 1.65 should be enough to cover a game where we expect the visitors to have more of an edge, rather than a cagey contest.
- Varazdin's leading goal threat is Iuri Tavares, who has 1 goal in 1 UEFA Conference League qualifying appearance, but Luka Mamic has been on a roll, scoring 3 of Varaždin's last 9 goals, all within the last 5 matches.
- Nemanja Tekijaski has 2 goals in Jablonec's last 5 matches, so he's an extra set-piece threat for his side.
