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December 8 2024, 20:30 · Alex Lawes

Dinamo Zagreb vs Celtic Preview: Team News & Prediction

Dinamo Zagreb vs Celtic Preview: Team News & Prediction
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We have two perennial UEFA Champions League qualifiers benefitting from the new format to now both be in a good position to potentially challenge for the knockouts this time around. 

Kick-off date/time: Tuesday 10th December, 2024: UK – 5:45pm / US ET – 12:45pm / US PT – 9:45am

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

Dinamo Zagreb Preview: Taking advantage

Dinamo Zagreb have dominated Croatian football for quite some time but they came very close to losing the league title last year before Rijeka’s collapse right at the end. They were also unconvincing in qualification for this tournament in August and then began with a 9-2 loss.

Following that seven-goals thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich, though, Dinamo have won two and drawn one of their next four matches before losing to Borussia Dortmund a fortnight ago. They have once again underperformed domestically, sitting third in the Croatian top-flight.

Celtic Preview: The excellent Bhoys

Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic have been ruthless and relentless throughout this season. The Celts have suffered just one defeat in their 23 matches across all competitions with the Scottish champions in an excellent position to qualify for the knockout stages of this tournament.

They haven’t made it through the first phase of the UEFA Champions League since the 2012/13 campaign but with eight points from five games and a reasonable fixture list to come, there is a belief they could even push for a top eight finish in the inaugural league format.

Dinamo Zagreb Team News: No Sucic

Dinamo Zagreb have an entertaining and exciting squad at the moment but it is quite young and inexperienced, which may well be the reason for their inconsistency. One of those brightest talents, Petar Sucic, is missing due to a foot injury for this one.

Predicted XI (5-3-2): Zagorac; Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Bernauer, Torrente, Pierre-Gabriel; Rog, Pavic, Stojkovic; Kacavenda, Baturina

Unavailable: Misic (Injured), Sucic (Injured), Cordoba (Injured)

Questionable: 

Celtic Team News: No fresh injuries

Celtic will be able to name their strongest eleven for this week’s trip to the Croatian capital as they have no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues. The priority will be getting the best out of Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda on the counter-attack. 

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda

Unavailable: Holm (Injured)

Questionable: 

Key Stats

  • Dinamo have won all their previous four UEFA club competition matches at home against Scottish teams. Three of those were against Celtic, most recently, a 4-3 victory in the UEFA Europa League group stage in December 2014.
  • All the previous six UEFA club competition matches between Dinamo and Celtic were won by the home team.
  • Dinamo have not lost successive UEFA club competition matches at home since the 2016/17 season.
  • Dinamo have scored three or more goals in their last three UEFA club competition matches at home against Scottish teams (3-0, 4-0, 4-3, most recent on the right).
  • None of Dinamo’s last 43 UEFA club competition matches finished without a goal being scored.
  • Celtic have lost only one of their last six matches in the UEFA Champions League proper (W3 D2).
  • Celtic’s total of ten goals scored in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League proper is their highest tally in a single edition in the UEFA Champions League era (GS/LP to F).
  • Celtic are without a win in their last ten UEFA club competition matches away from home (D2 L8), since a 3-2 win at Ferencvárosi in the UEFA Europa League group stage in November 2021.
  • Celtic have won only two of their previous 41 matches away from home in the UEFA Champions League proper (D5 L34). The wins are: 3-0 vs Anderlecht (September 2017, group stage) and 3-2 vs Spartak Moskva (October 2012, group stage).
  • James Forrest could become the second player to make 30 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper for Celtic after Scott Brown (34).

Dinamo Zagreb vs Celtic Prediction

Dinamo Zagreb come into this one on the back of a frustrating and disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Slaven Belupo to mean they sit six points behind league leaders Rijeka in Croatia. The hosts have put in some good performances in this competition and did earn themselves a 2-2 draw at home to Monaco, for example. They face a Celtic side that have find scoring easy domestically and even more than feasible on the continent. They have an abundance of attackers that will fancy their chances of hurting Dinamo with both teams scoring looking a good bet in Zagreb.

Dinamo Zagreb vs Celtic Tip: Both teams to score