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September 16 2024, 16:35 · Alex Lawes

Bayern Munich vs Dinamo Zagreb Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase

Bayern Munich vs Dinamo Zagreb Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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We have one of the bigger mis-matches from match day one of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign taking place at the Allianz Arena this week as Bayern Munich welcome Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb to Bavaria.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 17th September, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports / US – Paramount+, ViX

BAYERN MUNICH PREVIEW: SIGNS OF PROMISE FOR KOMPANY

‘FC Hollywood’ as they have been disparagingly known for a few decades has kicked into gear over the last 12-18 months with the sackings of Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, as well as several players and members higher up the club often ‘mouthing off’ for want of a better expression but it has been a much calmer and more cohesive start this time around.

Following the surprise appointment of former Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich have started the season with four wins out of four across all competitions, scoring 15 goals in the process. The Bavarians, aiming to reclaim the German title, enjoyed a 6-1 demolition of newly-promoted Holstein Kiel at the weekend.

DINAMO ZAGREB PREVIEW: FORTUNE IN ZAGREB

For a lot of last season, it appeared as though the unthinkably unlikely scenario of Dinamo Zagreb not winning the Croatian title may actually become reality. However, they rallied towards the end of the season to overcome Rijeka, helped by Rijeka losing all of their final four matches of the season when three wins would have made them champions.

This time around, they are sitting third in the table after three matches following a 1-0 defeat at home to Hajduk Split at the weekend. They were also unconvincing against Azeri champions Qarabag in the playoff for this competition last month with the 5-0 aggregate scoreline extremely flattering for the Croats.

BAYERN MUNICH TEAM NEWS: FINDING THE FORMULA

Bayern Munich have quite a few injury issues to deal with and all of them are defensively with summer signing Hiroki Ito injured alongside goalkeeper Dan Peretz as well as fellow defenders Sacha Boey and Josip Stanisic.

Finding an attacking balance is key for Bayern with both Leroy Sane and Michael Olise on the bench in Kiel at the weekend but Olise may well be expected to come into the eleven, potentially in place of Kingsley Coman.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Laimer, Joao Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane

UNAVAILABLE: Peretz (Injured), Stanisic (Injured), Boey (Injured), Ito (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

DINAMO ZAGREB TEAM NEWS: NO MOHARRAMI

Dinamo Zagreb have some long-term absentees to deal with in the first few months of this season. Iranian international defender Sadergh Moharrami is among those and isn’t even in their UEFA Champions League squad.

As well as Moharrami, Dinamo have not named either Dino Peric or Mauro Perkovic in their squad. The only injury doubt from within their named ‘roster’ is that of Josip Misic, dealing with a back injury.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Nevistic; Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Mmaee, Pierre-Gabriel; Misic, Sucic; Pjaca, Baturina, Hoxha; Petkovic

UNAVAILABLE:

QUESTIONABLE: Misic (Injured)

KEY STATS

  • Bayern were successful in both previous UEFA competition meetings between these two teams. They won 5-0 at home and 2-0 in Zagreb in the group stage of the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League.
  • Bayern are unbeaten in a competition record 40 UEFA Champions League group stage matches (W36 D4), since a 3-0 defeat vs Paris in September 2017.
  • Bayern have won 28 and drawn two of their last 30 home matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage, since losing 3-2 against Manchester City in December 2013.
  • Bayern have won their opening match in each of last 20 UEFA Champions League campaigns. They won 18 of the fixtures without conceding a goal. The last time Bayern did not win on Matchday 1 was in September 2002 when they lost 3-2 at home against Deportivo La Coruña.
  • Bayern have won 12 and drawn four of their last 16 UEFA Champions League matches at home.
  • Bayern have only failed to score in one of their last 40 UEFA Champions League group stage matches.
  • Bayern have only failed to score in two of their last 52 UEFA Champions League matches in Munich.
  • Serge Gnabry is set to make his 50th appearance in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
  • Harry Kane needs one goal to reach the landmark of 30 goals scored in the UEFA Champions League competition proper. He would become the second English player to do so after Wayne Rooney who finished his career with 30 goals.
  • If Harry Kane scores he will be the third fastest player to reach 30 UEFA Champions League goals – this is his 45th appearance. The players who reached the landmark in fewer appearances are: Erling Haaland (25 apps) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (34 apps).
  • Dinamo won their Matchday 1 fixture in three of their last four UEFA Champions League group stage campaigns (L1). They won the two most recent without conceding a goal (4-0 v Atalanta in 2019/20 and 1-0 v Chelsea in 2022/23 – both at home).
  • Dinamo have won six of their last eight UEFA competition matches (D1 L1).
  • Dinamo have won three of their last four UEFA competition matches away from home (L1).
  • Dinamo have kept six clean sheets in their last eight UEFA competition matches.
  • Dinamo are without a win in their previous 12 UEFA competition matches against German teams (D2 L10).
  • Dinamo have won only three of their last 39 matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper (D5 L31).

BAYERN MUNICH VS DINAMO ZAGREB PREDICTION

Bayern Munich have started the season very well and they will say they have had tough games in Wolfsburg and Freiburg but the fact is that Kompany and co can not be judged yet until they face stiffer opposition. Whilst ambitious and likely to want to play on the front foot, Dinamo are not in the category of that so-called ‘stiffer’ opposition to the expectation is actually quite a heavy home win.

BAYERN MUNICH VS DINAMO ZAGREB TIP: BAYERN MUNICH TO WIN -2 HANDICAP