Varaždin vs Lokomotiva Zagreb Preview: Third Hosts Fifth in a Croatian HNL Friday Night Cracker

Last updated: 24 April 2026. Right, we are back with another look at this one as we edge closer to Friday 8 May and the Croatian 1. HNL clash between Varaždin and Lokomotiva Zagreb. Two weeks out, early odds are starting to firm up, and mate... I am already interested. Let me tell you why.

Where Both Sides Are in the Table

So Varaždin are sitting third. Third! That is a decent shout in the Croatian top flight and they are well in the conversation for whatever European spots are still up for grabs. Lokomotiva Zagreb are fifth. Not miles behind. Five places separate them in terms of position but the gap in how they have been shipping goals is where it gets interesting.

Look at the numbers. Varaždin have scored 40 goals and conceded 40. Perfectly balanced, weirdly. Like the football gods sat down and said, right, let's make this lad's job harder. They are solid enough going forward but they are not keeping clean sheets for fun. That matters when you are trying to push for a top-three finish.

Lokomotiva Zagreb, on the other hand, have scored 38 and let in 47. Now that is a leaky ship. Forty-seven goals conceded is... a lot. It tells you they are probably fun to watch, probably up and down, probably give you a few heart attacks per game. And honestly? That is my kind of football to punt on.

What the Goals Tell Us

Honestly, the goal tallies here are screaming at me. Both teams to score feels almost too obvious, doesn't it? Varaždin are scoring freely and Lokomotiva are not exactly a brick wall at the back. Forty-seven conceded. Look at that number again. Forty-seven.

But here is the thing about Varaždin. They have let in 40 themselves. So it is not like the home side are going to park the bus and play it safe. These are two teams that like to have a go. Or maybe they just struggle to stop the other lot having a go. Either way, the outcome for a Saturday... sorry, a Friday night viewer is the same. Goals.

I actually looked at the numbers for once and the combined goals for both sides across the season is 78 scored and 87 conceded between them. That is not a fixture for the faint-hearted. That is a fixture for someone who has put BTTS on and is absolutely buzzing by the fifteen-minute mark.

Third Versus Fifth... Does It Matter?

Right, does the gap in positions actually tell us who wins? Not necessarily. Look at the fixtures around this one in the Croatian 1. HNL season and you will see that Lokomotiva are the kind of side who can turn up and nick a result against anyone. The goals they have scored, 38 of them, says they are not toothless. They can hurt you.

Varaždin at home will feel confident. Third in the table, playing in front of their own fans. There is something to play for at the top end of the table. That edge might just be the difference. Might be. I reckon the home advantage counts for something here.

But Lokomotiva are not coming here as tourists. Fifth place, still very much in the picture, with their own reasons to want three points. This will not be a dead rubber. Both teams have got something riding on it and that usually means a proper game of football.

The Vibe Check

I love a Friday night European league fixture. There is something about it. The week is done, you have got a game on, you stick a few quid on it and suddenly you are invested in Croatian football like you have been following it your whole life. That is the magic of football, isn't it? That is the scenes.

Varaždin hosting Lokomotiva Zagreb... third versus fifth... goals being conceded at a lovely rate by both sides... Look, the vibes are immaculate for this one. Genuinely.

Jay's Early Thoughts on the Markets

Early odds are starting to appear and I am having a proper think about this one before I commit to anything. Here is where my head is at right now.

Both teams to score looks nailed on to me given what we know. Varaždin conceding 40 and Lokomotiva scoring 38 tells you the visitors will have their moments. And Varaždin are not shy about getting on the scoresheet either with 40 goals to their name.

Over 2.5 goals is another one worth considering. With the defensive records both sides have put together, getting to three goals in the game feels more likely than not. I mean... 40 conceded for the home side and 47 for the away side. Someone is getting a few past them on Friday night.

I am going big on this... Varaždin to win and both teams to score. Home advantage, the slight gap in defensive solidity working in their favour, and Lokomotiva being the type to always give you something going forward but also always leave a door open at the back. You heard it here first. Don't @ me if it goes sideways.

I will have the full Saturday Special acca ready closer to the weekend but this game might just sneak into it depending on how the prices look. Two weeks to go. Plenty of time to talk myself in or out of it. Probably in. It is always in.

Back to the Drawing Board... or Not

Look, I missed plenty of them last month and I will probably miss a few more. But this fixture genuinely feels like one where the football does the talking for us. Two teams that score goals. Two teams that concede them. A third-versus-fifth matchup with something to play for. Friday night. Croatian 1. HNL. What is not to love?

Check back as we get closer to 8 May for the full updated preview with any team news and final betting selections. This one is worth keeping an eye on. Trust the process... she said, ironically, for the fourteenth time this season.