On Thursday, August 28, 2025, Utrecht and Zrinjski will meet in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying playoff. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 CET, with Utrecht holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg. Here’s a breakdown of the matchup and the best betting angle for this decisive clash.
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Utrecht
FC Utrecht finished fourth in the Eredivisie last season, securing a place in the Europa League qualifiers. They’ve looked impressive so far in their European campaign, having convincingly eliminated Sheriff Tiraspol (3-1 and 4-1) and Servette (3-1 away, 2-1 home) in earlier rounds.
In the playoff’s first leg against Zrinjski, Utrecht took control with a well-earned 2-0 win, thanks to a penalty and a late goal. Domestically, they’ve also started the season on a strong note, recording two wins and one defeat in their opening three Eredivisie fixtures.
Historically, Utrecht and Zrinjski last faced off in the 2019 Europa League qualifiers. Both matches ended 1-1 in regular time, but Zrinjski advanced after extra time—though Utrecht remained unbeaten in 90 minutes across both games.
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Zrinjski Mostar
Bosnian champions Zrinjski Mostar began their European journey in the Champions League qualifiers, overcoming Virtus (4-1 on aggregate) before falling to Slovan Bratislava after a 0-4 away defeat and a 2-2 home draw. Relegated to the Europa League, they edged past Icelandic side Breidablik with a 0-0 home draw and a narrow away win.
Now, Zrinjski face an uphill battle. They must score at least twice in the Netherlands to stay alive, a tough ask against a strong Utrecht side. In their domestic league, Zrinjski have only played two matches so far—one draw and one defeat—leaving them at the bottom of the table with games in hand.
Utrecht vs Zrinjski Mostar Head-to-Head (Key Match Facts)
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Utrecht are unbeaten in their last 3 meetings with Zrinjski.
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All 3 previous encounters between the sides have ended with under 2.5 total goals.
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Utrecht have won 7 of their last 8 matches in all competitions.
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They’ve also won 6 of their last 7 home games.
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Over 2.5 goals were scored in 10 of Utrecht’s last 11 fixtures.
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Both teams have scored in 8 of Utrecht’s last 10 games.
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Zrinjski have failed to win 6 of their last 7 matches.
Utrecht vs Zrinjski Mostar Lineups (Probable)
Utrecht: Barkas; Westerlund, van der Hoorn, Virggever, Murkin; Zekel, Engwanda, Jensen; Min, Jonathans, Blake
Zrinjski: Karacic; Memija, Jakovljevic, Barisic, Dujmovic; Savic, Ivancic, Abramovic; Pranjic, Mikic, Bilbija
Utrecht vs Zrinjski Mostar Prediction and Betting Tip
Utrecht are in excellent form and playing with momentum, especially at home. With Zrinjski needing to attack and chase goals, they’ll likely leave space at the back—something Utrecht’s attackers are well-equipped to exploit. While the Dutch side already have a two-goal cushion, they’re unlikely to settle for just defending.
Given the contrast in form, home advantage, and Utrecht’s attacking stats, expect another dominant showing. The best bet for this match is Utrecht to win with a -1 handicap, currently priced at odds of 1.64.
