- Team form: Istra have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five in all competitions, and have been held to draws in each of their last two.
- Opposition form: Lokomotiva have drawn four of their last five and lost just once, with their form also featuring several standoffs.
- Away stats: The visitors have not lost any of their five away trips in all current competitions (W1, D4), conceding just two goals.
Clash of styles on Saturday
NK Istra 1961 Pula (2.11) are a slight favorite against NK Lokomotiva Zagreb (3.21) for this HNL 2026-2027 fixture, with the draw (3.48) available at an inflated price. The sides have drawn one and won one apiece across their three most recent HNL head-to-head meetings, and with Lokomotiva coming off a 2-0 win in this fixture in 2025/2026, it makes sense that they will arrive feeling confident of nicking something.
While Istra have been in decent form, this price does not reflect the likelihood of the favourites winning on Saturday and should probably be ignored in favor of the draw or the visitors. The last time these sides met in the HNL, Lokomotiva came out on top and they've done nothing to suggest they will have a lack of confidence on the trip to Pula.
Javi Cabello has been at the helm of Istra since 9 June 2026 and has overseen a Spanish-influenced rebuild which prioritises ball control, positional build-up, proactive pressing and high-volume recoveries.
Tight game expected in Pula
Lokomotiva's approach
Lokomotiva's style is a contrast to that of their hosts. Nikica Jelavic, who has been at the club since 1 July 2025, has built a side with fluid positional play, tempo variation and a press that is applied in bursts rather than constantly. The hosts will try to set the pace in this clash, but Lokomotiva are capable of switching the game up and attacking the spaces behind the pressing Istra side.
Recent form
The last 10 matches of Istra in all competitions saw them win two, draw three and lose five, so they're not enjoying the best of runs and appear to have been scrapping by rather than impressing. Their form at home is even less impressive (W1, D1, L2), so they've hardly made their own patch a fortress of late.
Lokomotiva's form of three wins, five draws and just two defeats across their last ten in all competitions is steadier but also includes plenty of draws. They've drawn their last three in a row, but have only conceded two goals in their five trips across all current competitions, a record which has been elite.
The numbers are against an Istra win
- An Under 2.5 goals prediction (1.95) is the safest play for this game, with the Both Teams to Score - No prediction coming in at a similar price (2.11).
- Istra have scored four goals in their last four home games in all comps, which is a return too modest to suggest they can put multiple goals past a sturdy Lokomotiva side.
- Our main prediction is for the stalemate (3.48) which seems highly likely given Lokomotiva's ability to keep things tight on the road.
