Regarding the previous 157 derbies, Željezničar has achieved 48 victories, Sarajevo 47, with 62 matches ending in a draw. During this period, Željezničar scored 190 goals, while Sarajevo scored 189.
At Grbavica, 76 derbies have been played. Željezničar celebrated victory in 31 matches, 29 ended in a draw, and Sarajevo emerged as the winner 16 times from the temple of the opposing team.
Although the derby always has a special charm, this time it will have significantly less significance in terms of the table. Sarajevo is in third place, with no chance to challenge for the title but relatively secure for Europe, while Željezničar is in sixth place, trailing their city rival in third by a full 13 points, which guarantees a spot in European competitions.
Željezničar's coach Savo Milošević, at yesterday's press conference, congratulated the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team on qualifying for the World Cup and then turned his attention to the match.
"This derby should be the bearer of football in this region. With the desire for everything to proceed in the best order and for the focus to be on the events on the field. As a player, I played many derbies, but I never played one where the team that was better or played more beautifully certainly won. Every derby has its specifics and is unique. My wish is for the team to give their maximum, and then we'll see if that's enough. I'm sure that in that case we will have great chances, although Sarajevo has exceptional individuals and a team," said Milošević.
His counterpart on the other side, Mario Cvitanović, hopes for a heated atmosphere, a fair and correct match, and ultimately a victory for his team.
"We want a full stadium, the atmosphere will be heated, and I also want us to feel at home here at Grbavica. We are preparing for this match to play football, we want victory, regardless of playing away. With the support of our fans, we are seeking victory. This will be influenced by the pitch, the condition of the whole team, individual sequences in the match, whether they are interruptions, moments of inspiration," conveyed the Croatian expert.
This will be the third derby between Željezničar and Sarajevo this season, and both teams have one victory each. However, Željezničar owes Sarajevo much more after suffering an absolute thrashing at Koševo in December this year in their last encounter.
The Bordeaux team was better than their rival on December 12th with a huge 4:0 victory. On the other hand, in September, Željezničar celebrated with a 2:0 result.
In derbies, it is always difficult to predict the final outcome and the winner. Sarajevo might be a slight favorite in terms of squad, while Željezničar relies on the support of their fiery home crowd. Who do you consider the winner of tonight's derby? Answer us in our poll.
An important factor will be the fact that the guests will have the support of 1,000 spectators. The two clubs have signed an agreement guaranteeing reciprocity for the next derby when Željezničar players visit Koševo.
For Željezničar, the suspended Joao Erick will not play, along with the more seriously injured from earlier: Madžid Šošić, Matej Cvetanoski, Armin Hodžić, and Afan Fočo. Additionally, Bojan Nastić is questionable.
The Bordeaux camp has far fewer injury problems, with only Renan Oliveira and Gojko Cimirot being questionable.
The match will be officiated by local referee Admir Musić (Hrasnica - Sarajevo), assisted by Davor Beljo and Amer Macić from Mostar. The fourth official is Armin Kukić from Bugojno.
In the VAR room, the main referee will be Sabrija Topalović from Zenica, assisted by Senad Ibrišimbegović from Travnik.
We remind you, the big derby of the 27th round of the WWin League is being played tonight at Grbavica, starting at 20:45, with a live text broadcast on the Klix.ba portal. The live broadcast is on Arena Sport.