Fifteen years after their last appearance, Utrecht are just one step away from a long-awaited return to European competitions. Ron Jan’s men will host Zrinjski at the Galgenwaard Stadion on Thursday, August 28, carrying the advantage of a 2-0 away win in the first leg. The Dutch side are clear favorites to qualify for the second-tier European club competition, from which they have been absent since the 2010/11 season. Since then, they missed out three times, failing to get past the qualification rounds. This time, however, things are looking different, as they only need to avoid losing by three goals in front of their home fans to seal their European dream. Their European campaign so far has been flawless: they knocked out Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol with an aggregate score of 7-2, and Swiss team Servette with a 5-2 over two legs. Zrinjski, winners of the 2024/25 Bosnian Premier League, have only one prior European appearance, having reached the group stage of the 2023/24 Conference League, but now they dream of making their first ever Europa League appearance. Igor Stimac’s team had a tough path: after being eliminated in the Champions League second qualifying round by Slovan Bratislava, they were "relegated" to the Europa League qualifiers, where they managed to beat Icelandic side Breidablik in the third round. With a two-goal deficit to overturn, Zrinjski face the difficult task of winning by at least three goals – a challenge made even harder by their three-game goal drought and inconsistent away form. Still, underestimating the Bosnians’ hunger to make history could be dangerous.

Utrecht's recent form and key stats

Utrecht have started the 2025/26 season strongly, winning seven of their first eight matches across European qualifiers and Eredivisie fixtures. Last weekend, Ron Jan’s side beat Excelsior 4-1 in Eredivisie matchday three, thanks to goals from Rodriguez, Min, and a brace from Jensen. With that victory, they climbed to sixth place with six points.

The Galgenwaard Stadion has been a fortress for Utrecht: in their last eight home matches, they’ve secured seven wins and one draw, averaging three goals per game and keeping three clean sheets. Their standout performer has undoubtedly been Victor Jensen, who has scored eight goals in eight appearances so far.

Zrinjski's recent form and key stats

Zrinjski are coming off two consecutive defeats, the latest against Zeljeznicar in the WWIN Liga BiH matchday five. Their main struggles have been in attack: they haven’t scored in three matches, which resulted in two defeats and a goalless draw. More broadly, they have only one win in their last seven matches (three draws and three losses).

Away from home, Zrinjski have been inconsistent, recording two wins and two defeats, conceding seven goals while scoring four. Their lack of continuity makes a comeback against Utrecht even more unlikely. Their slim qualification hopes largely rest on captain Nemanja Bilbija, who has already netted six goals in his first nine appearances of the season.

Utrecht vs Zrinjski prediction and tactical overview

Utrecht have shown themselves to be an attacking team early this season, scoring plenty but also conceding chances. In their first four home games of 2025/26, they’ve averaged 3.5 goals per game, but kept only one clean sheet.

Despite their two-goal advantage, Utrecht’s game plan may well be to attack from the start, aiming to score the decisive goal early and avoid any risks. The visitors, on the other hand, will be forced to push forward to chase the comeback, exposing themselves to counterattacks from Ron Jan’s side.

For this reason, the BetMines algorithm predicts a high-scoring game with at least three total goals. Over 2.5 goals has occurred in ten of Utrecht’s last eleven matches, and in two of Zrinjski’s four away games this season.

• Utrecht vs Zrinjski Prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 57% probability.
  
  
• Utrecht vs Zrinjski Prediction from BetMines: Under 2.5 goals with 43% probability.

Probable lineups Utrecht vs Zrinjski

UTRECHT (4-2-3-1): Barkas; El Karouani, Horemans, Van der Hoorn, Viergever; Engwanda, Jensen; Rodrigues, Zechiel, Blake; Min. Coach: Ron Jan

ZRINJSKI (4-2-3-1): Karacic; Memija, Jakovljevic, Barisic, Susac; Savic, Ivancic; Pranjic, Kis, Mikic; Bilbija. Coach: Igor Stimac