- Varazdin are unbeaten in five at home (Won 3, Drawn 2), while Jablonec have lost four away from home and conceded 15 goals.
- Varazdin have won two, drawn one and lost none of their last three games, while Jablonec have won one and lost two.
- Jablonec's away record across all competitions reads P4, W0, D0, L4, with 15 goals conceded.
Varazdin have the verve to edge out Jablonec
NK Varazdin enter this UEFA Conference League qualification 2026 fixture in better form than Jablonec and will most likely win Thursday's matchup if the momentum of their recent games continues. Varazdin have won five, drawn two and lost three of their last ten in all competitions, while Jablonec have won three, drawn one and lost six of their 10 most recent assignments.
Nikola Safaric has been in charge of Varazdin since December 2023 and in that time the team have become more organised, compact and sharp in transition. Varazdin set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and use midfield overloads and quick vertical passes to control the pace of the game, and they have been in good shape of late with two wins and a draw in their last three outings.
Varazdin have enjoyed a two-game winning streak, having recorded a 0-2 away win against Vukovar 1991 and a 2-0 home win against NK Istra 1961 Pula, while they drew 1-1 at home to NK Lokomotiva Zagreb in between those victories. Jablonec are in mixed to poor form, having been hammered 5-0 away by Viktoria Plzen, lost 1-3 at home to MFK Karvina in the Czech Cup and beating Slovan Liberec 2-1 at home in the 1. Liga Championship Group.
Hosts have the edge in a tactical battle
Luboš Kozel has been in charge of Jablonec since July 2024 and has installed a sturdy structure, plenty of width from his wing-backs and a direct, counter-punching gameplan that has served his side well. A back three and selective pressing should keep the visitors compact and tough to break down, but they may cede territory and second-ball possession to the hosts in doing so.
Both teams to score appears live at around the 1.7 mark, but under 2.5 goals at 1.88 appeals more for what looks to be a close European qualifier. Varazdin are the shade of favourites at 2.49 ahead of Jablonec at 2.75 and the draw at 3.55, and we are going to stick with that, but the home edge and Jablonec's awful away form suggest the hosts will be better placed to nick it.
Varazdin have scored seven goals in their last five home games in all competitions, a neat return for a team that likes to control games, but this could be a cagey contest and so we will have to be content with a single goal for the Croatians.
