NK Istra 1961 — HNL 25/26 Season Report

Points

36 matches

12717

W · D · L

39–50

Goals F / A

GD -11

1.02

Avg xG / game

1.82 xGA · net -0.8

49.7%

Avg Possession

0.402

Avg Perf. Index

3.2 SOT · 4.9 opp SOT

Shots in box/gm6.4

Big ch. missed/gm0.9

Fouls/gm11.8

★

Best performance

R5 vs Gorica (1–0)

PI 0.734

▼

Worst performance

R4 vs Dinamo (0–3)

PI 0.087

Key Facts

Home: 6W 5D 7L (23 pts) · Away: 6W 2D 10L (20 pts).
Scored 39 from 36.7 xG (+2.3) · conceded 50 from 65.6 xGA (-15.6).
Better xG than the opponent in 8 of 36 matches.
Longest unbeaten run: 3 matches (rounds 7–9).
Longest run without a win: 6 matches (rounds 20–25).
Clean sheets: 6.
Last 5: L W W D L.

EU Qualification Race — Varaždin & Slaven Belupo

Pos	Club	Pts	W·D·L	GD	xG	xGA	PI
#3	Varaždin	54	15·9·12	+1	1.25	1.36	0.469
#6	Istra	43	12·7·17	-11	1.02	1.82	0.402
#8	Slaven B.	41	10·11·15	-15	1.14	1.64	0.425

Istra vs Varaždin — H2H

3W 0D 1L (6:4)

1–0 (H, R9) · 3–1 (A, R18) · 2–1 (H, R27) · 0–2 (A, R36)

Istra vs Slaven Belupo — H2H

1W 1D 2L (5:5)

1–2 (A, R6) · 1–1 (H, R15) · 0–1 (A, R24) · 3–1 (H, R33)

Performance Index v2 — per match & 5-game rolling average

Expected Goals — xG (Istra) vs xGA (opponent) per round

Ball Possession % per round — red ≥ 50 % (dominant)

First leg vs second leg breakdown

First Leg — Rounds 1–18 (18 matches)

Record7W · 5D · 6L

Points26

Goals F / A (GD)24 / 23 (+1)

Avg xG / xGA1.2 / 1.76

Avg Possession48.6%

Avg Perf. Index0.442

Second Leg — Rounds 19–36 (18 matches)

Record5W · 2D · 11L

Points 17 ↓ declined

Goals F / A (GD)15 / 27 (-12)

Avg xG / xGA0.84 / 1.88

Avg Possession50.8%

Avg Perf. Index 0.361 ↓ declined

Season-over-season comparison — NK Istra 1961

Season	GP	W · D · L	Pts	Goals (GD)	xG/gm	xGA/gm	Poss	Avg PI
HNL 24/25	36	11 15 10	48	39–42 (-3)	1.19	1.24	49.2%	0.479
HNL 25/26 ◄	36	12 7 17	43	39–50 (-11)	1.02	1.82	49.7%	0.402
HNL 26/27	2	0 1 1	1	4–5 (-1)	1.66	1.36	46.0%	0.42

Performance Index trend — 5-match rolling average by season

Key metrics per season

Coaching History — Season by Season

Coach	Nat.	Tenure	Gms	W · D · L	PPG	Goals	xG	xGA	PI
HNL 23/24
Mislav Karoglan	Croatia	07.2023 – 08.2023	3	0 1 2	0.33	1–10 (-9)	0.41	1.66	0.255
David Catala	Spain	08.2023 – 02.2024	17	4 4 9	0.94	13–24 (-11)	1.14	1.15	0.431
Sergej Banović	Croatia	08.2023 – 08.2023	1	0 1 0	1.0	4–4 (0)	1.42	2.02	0.446
HNL 24/25
Sergej Banović	Croatia	12.2024 – 12.2024	1	0 1 0	1.0	2–2 (0)	2.14	1.62	0.478
HNL 23/24
Paolo Tramezzani	Italy	02.2024 – 05.2024	15	6 5 4	1.53	18–16 (+2)	1.02	0.97	0.505
HNL 24/25
Paolo Tramezzani	Italy	08.2024 – 12.2024	17	4 6 7	1.06	16–27 (-11)	1.19	1.4	0.418
Gonzalo Garcia	Uruguay	01.2025 – 05.2025	18	7 8 3	1.61	21–13 (+8)	1.14	1.07	0.536
HNL 25/26
Goran Tomić	Croatia	08.2025 – 09.2025	6	1 2 3	0.83	6–10 (-4)	1.16	1.65	0.396
Oriol Riera	Spain	09.2025 – 04.2026	23	9 4 10	1.35	29–33 (-4)	1.05	1.93	0.407
Krešimir Režić	Croatia	04.2026 – 05.2026	5	2 1 2	1.4	4–4 (0)	0.83	1.33	0.436
HNL 26/27
Javier Cabello● current	Spain	08.2026 – present	2	0 1 1	0.5	4–5 (-1)	1.66	1.36	0.42

Overall totals across all seasons

Coach	Nat.	Seasons	Gms	W · D · L	PPG	Goals	PI
Paolo Tramezzani	Italy	HNL 23/24 · HNL 24/25	32	10 11 11	1.28	34–43 (-9)	0.459
Oriol Riera	Spain	HNL 25/26	23	9 4 10	1.35	29–33 (-4)	0.407
Gonzalo Garcia	Uruguay	HNL 24/25	18	7 8 3	1.61	21–13 (+8)	0.536
David Catala	Spain	HNL 23/24	17	4 4 9	0.94	13–24 (-11)	0.431
Krešimir Režić	Croatia	HNL 25/26	5	2 1 2	1.4	4–4 (0)	0.436
Goran Tomić	Croatia	HNL 25/26	6	1 2 3	0.83	6–10 (-4)	0.396
Sergej Banović	Croatia	HNL 23/24 · HNL 24/25	2	0 2 0	1.0	6–6 (0)	0.462
Mislav Karoglan	Croatia	HNL 23/24	3	0 1 2	0.33	1–10 (-9)	0.255
Javier Cabello	Spain	HNL 26/27	2	0 1 1	0.5	4–5 (-1)	0.42

Salary & Value — HNL 25/26 · HNL wage bill vs results

€3.62M

Istra wage bill

#5 / #6

Salary rank / League pos

-1

Rank delta (pos above wage rank)

-2.9 pts

Points above expected

€25.42M

Top wage bill (Zagreb)

+15.0

Best overperformance (Varaždin)

Wage bill vs points — with expected regression line

Points above / below expected (log-salary model)

#	Club	Salary	Pts	W · D · L	Goals (GD)	Pts/€M	Rank Δ	Pts vs Exp
1	GNK Dinamo Zagreb	€25.42M	86	27 5 4	93–28 (+65)	3.4	0	+7.9
2	HNK Hajduk Split	€12.95M	68	20 8 8	61–36 (+25)	5.3	0	+1.0
3	NK Varaždin	€2.38M	54	15 9 12	47–46 (+1)	22.7	+6	+15.0
4	HNK Rijeka	€7.31M	53	14 11 11	49–36 (+13)	7.3	-1	-4.5
5	NK Lokomotiva Zagreb	€2.89M	44	10 14 12	40–52 (-12)	15.2	+1	+1.8
6	NK Istra 1961	€3.62M	43	12 7 17	39–50 (-11)	11.9	-1	-2.9
7	HNK Gorica	€2.6M	41	11 8 17	40–48 (-8)	15.8	+1	+0.6
8	NK Slaven Belupo	€2.66M	41	10 11 15	46–61 (-15)	15.4	-1	+0.2
9	NK Osijek	€5.55M	35	8 11 17	27–49 (-22)	6.3	-5	-18.0
10	HNK Vukovar 1991	€1.31M	28	6 10 20	37–73 (-36)	21.4	0	-1.1

NK Istra 1961 — salary vs results by season

Season	Wage bill	Points	Position	Pts/€M
HNL 23/24	€2.53M	41	8	16.2
HNL 24/25	€2.55M	48	5	18.8
HNL 25/26	€3.62M	43	6	11.9

Match-by-match results

Rnd	Date	H/A	Opponent	Score	Res	xG	xGA	Poss	SOT	Box shots	Big ch.	Perf. Index
1	03 Aug 2025	A	Hajduk	1–2	L	0.73	1.93	43.0%	3	7	1	0.246	▼

2	09 Aug 2025	H	Lokomotiva	2–2	D	1.33	1.14	57.0%	4	10	2	0.491	▼

3	15 Aug 2025	A	Vukovar	1–1	D	1.41	1.41	53.0%	5	6	3	0.493	▼

4	23 Aug 2025	A	Dinamo	0–3	L	0.09	2.98	34.0%	1	1	0	0.087	▼

5	29 Aug 2025	H	Gorica	1–0	W	2.5	0.97	42.0%	6	10	4	0.734	▼

6	12 Sep 2025	A	Slaven B.	1–2	L	0.9	1.45	51.0%	3	5	1	0.326	▼

7	21 Sep 2025	H	Osijek	2–1	W	1.11	2.22	51.0%	5	7	1	0.565	▼

8	27 Sep 2025	A	Rijeka	0–0	D	0.47	2.68	48.0%	1	4	0	0.272	▼

9	03 Oct 2025	H	Varaždin	1–0	W	0.61	1.21	49.0%	4	5	1	0.531	▼

10	19 Oct 2025	H	Hajduk	0–3	L	1.26	1.95	51.0%	2	11	2	0.309	▼

11	25 Oct 2025	A	Lokomotiva	2–1	W	1.03	1.89	52.0%	2	4	1	0.535	▼

12	01 Nov 2025	H	Vukovar	1–1	D	1.43	0.66	56.0%	4	10	1	0.537	▼

13	09 Nov 2025	H	Dinamo	2–1	W	1.79	2.56	35.0%	4	5	3	0.523	▼

14	23 Nov 2025	A	Gorica	0–1	L	1.06	2.22	57.0%	5	7	1	0.283	▼

15	29 Nov 2025	H	Slaven B.	1–1	D	1.04	1.9	55.0%	3	5	2	0.419	▼

16	07 Dec 2025	A	Osijek	5–1	W	2.05	1.0	49.0%	6	8	4	0.711	▼

17	20 Jan 2026	H	Rijeka	1–2	L	1.64	1.33	46.0%	4	8	2	0.387	▼

18	19 Dec 2025	A	Varaždin	3–1	W	1.08	2.26	45.0%	4	6	1	0.499	▼

19	25 Jan 2026	A	Hajduk	2–1	W	1.24	2.18	37.0%	4	6	3	0.528	▼

20	30 Jan 2026	H	Lokomotiva	1–1	D	0.99	1.12	67.0%	1	4	1	0.427	▼

21	07 Feb 2026	A	Vukovar	2–3	L	1.73	3.19	63.0%	4	7	2	0.244	▼

22	14 Feb 2026	A	Dinamo	0–4	L	0.09	3.67	42.0%	1	1	0	0.098	▼

23	21 Feb 2026	H	Gorica	0–2	L	0.48	2.16	61.0%	3	4	1	0.246	▼

24	27 Feb 2026	A	Slaven B.	0–1	L	1.13	1.74	52.0%	3	9	2	0.33	▼

25	06 Mar 2026	H	Osijek	0–1	L	1.41	0.65	57.0%	2	10	2	0.455	▼

26	15 Mar 2026	A	Rijeka	2–0	W	0.85	2.66	29.0%	2	3	2	0.417	▼

27	20 Mar 2026	H	Varaždin	2–1	W	0.42	1.53	47.0%	5	7	0	0.526	▼

28	07 Apr 2026	H	Hajduk	1–3	L	0.24	2.08	32.0%	2	4	1	0.138	▼

29	11 Apr 2026	A	Lokomotiva	0–2	L	0.78	1.22	56.0%	3	9	2	0.331	▼

30	18 Apr 2026	H	Vukovar	1–2	L	1.26	1.97	72.0%	3	9	4	0.377	▼

31	22 Apr 2026	H	Dinamo	0–2	L	0.18	1.83	42.0%	0	2	0	0.122	▼

32	27 Apr 2026	A	Gorica	0–1	L	0.95	1.61	57.0%	4	6	1	0.294	▼

33	04 May 2026	H	Slaven B.	3–1	W	1.2	2.07	48.0%	4	7	1	0.552	▼

34	10 May 2026	A	Osijek	1–0	W	0.67	0.57	43.0%	3	7	2	0.667	▼

35	17 May 2026	H	Rijeka	0–0	D	1.17	0.55	50.0%	2	7	3	0.545	▼

36	23 May 2026	A	Varaždin	0–2	L	0.4	3.05	59.0%	4	8	0	0.21	▼

Glossary of Terms

Term	Definition
xG	Expected Goals — probability-weighted shots measure of how many goals a team should have scored
xGA	Expected Goals Against — xG conceded by Istra
xA	Expected Assists — probability that a key pass becomes an assist
PI	Performance Index — composite score (45% result, 30% chance quality, 15% territory, 10% possession)
PPG	Points Per Game
G+A	Goals + Assists combined
CS	Clean Sheet — match with 0 goals conceded
Saves/90	Goalkeeper saves per 90 minutes
sv/90	Same as Saves/90
Def. actions/90	Tackles + interceptions + clearances per 90 min
kp/90	Key passes per 90 minutes
Shots/90	Shots attempted per 90 minutes
Conv%	Shot conversion rate (goals ÷ shots)
Pass%	Pass accuracy percentage
Avg rating	Sofascore match rating average (scale 1–10)
Sofascore rating	Per-player per-match rating by Sofascore platform