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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 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