NK Slaven Belupo vs HNK Rijeka Prediction

May the form be with you, friends. And in this one, it points clearly to the visitors.

HNK Rijeka arrive at NK Slaven Belupo's ground in a state of... let us call it red-hot. Three wins and two draws in their last five, with 14 goals scored and just 2 conceded. Their current run tells the tale: two wins, nine goals, zero conceded. They beat HNK Hajduk Split 3–0 at home on 20 September, then dismantled Vrbovec 6–0 in the Cup on 16 September. The force is with them, and it is strong.

NK Slaven Belupo, meanwhile, have been... let us say a bit lost in the mist. Two wins, one draw, two losses in their last five. Their most recent outing was a 1–2 defeat to Olimpija Ljubljana in a friendly on 1 October. At home, their record over 20 games is 7 wins, 5 draws, 8 losses — more defeats than victories. They concede 1.6 goals per game on their own ground, and their last home game was a 2–1 win over NK Lokomotiva Zagreb on 6 September.

The head-to-head at this venue tells a simple story. In the two recent meetings here, HNK Rijeka won 2–0 on 4 April and drew 1–1 on 18 October 2025. NK Slaven Belupo have not beaten Rijeka at home in these recent encounters. And across the last four meetings at both venues, Rijeka won two and drew two — never lost.

Now, the wise one must also see the other side of the coin. NK Slaven Belupo did score in one of those home meetings, and their last five games saw them score in four of five. HNK Rijeka's away record over 20 games includes 6 draws and 6 losses, and their recent away form — a 6–0 Cup win, a 1–1 draw, and a 0–0 draw — is not as dominant as their home output. The 2–2 draw at Rijeka's ground in January and the 1–1 here in October show that Slaven Belupo can find a way to keep it close.

But the weight of the evidence, the weight of the form, the weight of the head-to-head — it all points one direction. Rijeka's defensive record away (0.9 goals conceded per game, 9 clean sheets in 20) meets a Slaven Belupo side that lost their last game and have a home record that leans toward defeat.

Key Points:

• HNK Rijeka: 3W 2D 0L in last 5, 2.8 goals scored per game, 0.4 conceded per game

• NK Slaven Belupo: 2W 1D 2L in last 5, lost their most recent game (1–2 to Olimpija Ljubljana)

• H2H at this venue: Rijeka won 2–0 and drew 1–1 in the two recent meetings

• Rijeka's away record: 8W 6D 6L in 20 games, 0.9 conceded per game

• Slaven Belupo's home record: 7W 5D 8L in 20 games, 1.6 conceded per game

The force is with the visitors. I recommend the away win for HNK Rijeka.