Croatian First League 2020/2021 season preview Football
Dinamo Zagreb claims Croatian title for 21st time
Dinamo Zagreb has sealed the 2019/20 Croatian league title six rounds before the close of the season. The title is the 21st for the club since Croatia gained independence and the 31st in total in the club's history. This is also Dinamo's 13th title in the last 14 years. Lokomotiva Zagreb will have the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League this campaign after qualifying for the qualifying round for the first time. Lokomotiva had a great season, but after second place in the Croatian championship, they failed to win the first trophy in club history. Rijeka celebrated the Croatian Cup, defeating Lokomotiva 1:0 in the final.
- Champions: Dinamo (Champions League QR2)
- Runners-up: Lokomotiva Zagreb (UEFA Europa League QR2)
- Third place and Cup winners: Rijeka (UEFA Europa League QR3)
- Fourth place: Osijek (UEFA Europa League QR2)
- Fifth place: Hajduk Split (UEFA Europa League QR2)
- Relegated: Inter Zapresic
- Promoted: Sibenik
| Team | Titles | 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo | 21 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Hajduk | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Rijeka | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Slaven | - | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Osijek | - | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Istra | - | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Lokomotiva | - | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Gorica | - | - | - | - | 5 | 6 |
| Varazdin | - | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| Sibenik | - | - | - | - | - | - |
The table shows the overall number of titles since 1992 for each club in Croatian First League and their league standings in the last five seasons.
Season without spectators
The HNS Executive Board has decided that the matches of the Croatian First League, the Second HNL, the Croatian Football Cup, and the youth competition will be played without the presence of spectators. This decision builds on the decision made by the Executive Board in July, which determined that the end of the 2019/20 competition year will take place without the presence of spectators in stadiums, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This page contains additional information about the 2020/2021 Croatian First League season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Croatia page.
| # | Team | Pts | GD | W-D-L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinamo | 80 | 42 | 25-5-6 |
| 2 | Lokomotiva | 65 | 19 | 19-8-9 |
| 3 | Rijeka | 64 | 16 | 19-7-10 |
| 4 | Osijek | 62 | 18 | 17-11-8 |
| 5 | Hajduk | 60 | 19 | 18-6-12 |
| 6 | Gorica | 49 | -4 | 12-13-11 |
| 7 | Slaven | 39 | -17 | 10-9-17 |
| 8 | Varazdin | 36 | -21 | 9-9-18 |
| 9 | Istra | 25 | -32 | 5-10-21 |
| 10 | Inter | 17 | -40 | 3-8-25 |
The Croatian First League standings for season 2019/2020.
Dinamo favorites to win championship
The online bookmakers are tipping Dinamo Zagreb to win with odds of 1.5 followed by Lokomotiva, Rijeka, Osijek and Hajduk with odds of 10.
| Team | Odds | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Zagreb | 1.5 | Slaven Belupo | 501 |
| Lokomotiva | 10 | Sibenik | 501 |
| Rijeka | 10 | Istra | 501 |
| Osijek | 10 | Varazdin | 501 |
| Hajduk Split | 10 | Gorica | 501 |
Preseason odds for the outright winner of the 2020/21 Croatian First League.
Croatian Cup finals in last five seasons
| 2020 | Rijeka - Lokomotiva | 1:0 |
| 2019 | Rijeka - Dinamo Zagreb | 3:1 |
| 2018 | Dinamo - Hajduk | 1:0 |
| 2017 | Rijeka - Dinamo | 3:1 |
| 2016 | Dinamo - Slaven Belupo | 2:1 |
Key players
(transfer market value in m€)
Dinamo Zagreb
Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic (12.5); Defense: Josko Gvardiol (6), Dino Peric (4.8), Kevin Theophile-Catherine (4); Midfield: Mislav Orsic (7.5), Arijan Ademi (5.5), Amer Gojak (5), Luka Ivanusec (4), Damian Kadzior (3.5); Forward: Bruno Petkovic (11), Mario Gavranovic (1).
Gorica
Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina (1); Defense: Aleksandar Jovicic (1), Marijan Cabraja (0.7), Matthew Steenvoorden (0.6); Midfield: Kristijan Lovric (4), Joey Suk (1.1), Jiloan Hamad (0.8), Hrvoje Babec (0.5), Anthony Kalik (0.5); Forward: Cherif Ndiaye (1.5), Ognjen Mudrinski (0.8).
Hajduk Split
Goalkeeper Josip Posavec (0.9); Defense: Mario Vuskovic (1.5), Ardian Ismajli (1), David Colina (0.9); Midfield: Mijo Caktas (3.7), Darko Nejasmic (1.6), Jairo da Silva (1.6), Bassel Jradi (0.8), Adam Gyurcso (0.8); Forward: Samuel Eduok (1.8), Dimitrios Diamantakos (0.8).
Istra
Goalkeeper Josip Condric (0.2); Defense: Petar Bosancic (0.3), Josip Tomasevic (0.3), Markus Pavic (0.3), Marin Grujevic (0.3); Midfield: Sime Grzan (0.5), Antonio Ivancic (0.5), Ivan Mocinic (0.3), Stefan Loncar (0.3); Forward: Gedeon Guzina (0.2), Robert Peric-Komsic (0.2).
Lokomotiva Zagreb
Goalkeeper Ivo Grbic (2); Defense: Denis Kolinger (1.5), Stipo Markovic (0.8), Jon Mersinaj (0.7), Toni Datkovic (0.6); Midfield: Marko Djira (1.5), Marko Tolic (1.5), Enis Cokaj (0.9), Sherif Kallaku (0.5); Forward: Mario Cuze (0.9), Indrit Tuci (0.7).
Osijek
Goalkeeper Ivica Ivusic (0.7); Defense: Ante Majstorovic (1.6), Mile Skoric (1.2), Talys (0.9), Igor Silva (0.9); Midfield: Petar Bockaj (1.5), Laszlo Kleinheisler (1.3), Mihael Zaper (1.2), Eros Grezda (0.9); Forward: Mirko Maric (4.5), Josip Spoljaric (0.3).
Rijeka
Goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic (0.8); Defense: Hrvoje Smolcic (0.9), Darko Velkovski (0.7), Nino Galovic (0.6); Midfield: Ivan Lepinjica (1.2), Stjepan Loncar (1.2), Domagoj Pavicic (1), Tibor Halilovic (0.8), Robert Muric (0.6); Forward: Antonio Colak (4), Sterling Yateke (0.5).
Sibenik
Goalkeeper Lovre Rogic (0.2); Defense: Boris Pandza (0.2), Arian Mrsulja (0.2), Silvio Anocic (0.1), Karlo Bilic (0.1), Ivica Batarelo (0.1); Midfield: Toni Spanja (0.2), Nikola Rak (0.2), Josip Males (0.1), Emir Sahiti (0.1); Forward: Prince Ampem (0.1).
Slaven Belupo Koprivnica
Goalkeeper Ivan Filipovic (0.4); Defense: Zvonimir Sarlija (0.8), Bruno Goda (0.4), Matko Zirdum (0.3); Midfield: Karlo Lulic (0.7), Bruno Bogojevic (0.7), Nemanja Glavcic (0.6), Arijan Brkovic (0.4), Robin Kamber (0.3); Forward: Torles Knoll (0.4), Franck Etoundi (0.4).
Varazdin
Goalkeeper Oliver Zelenika (0.2); Defense: Marko Stolnik (0.6), Matej Rodin (0.5), Ivan Novoselec (0.4), Nikola Tkalcic (0.3); Midfield: Domagoj Drozdek (0.8), Jorge Obregon (0.7), Matej Senic (0.5), Neven Djurasek (0.4); Forward: Ivan Delic (0.3), Dominik Glavina (0.2).