Dinamo Zagreb vs Chelsea – Preview, H2H, Line-ups, Prediction | UCL 2022-23

Thomas Tuchel-Kante-Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel-Kante-Chelsea | Photo Credit: IMAGO

The UEFA Champions League returns this week with 2020/21 champions Chelsea travelling to Stadion Maksimir to face Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. 

Venue: Stadion Maksimir (Zagreb)

Key Statistics

Dinamo Zagreb have lost only one of their last 13 home games in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) including qualifiers (W7, D5).

They have won their last six competitive games at home. 

The hosts have won only four of their last 19 European clashes against English opponents (D3, L12). 

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 11 away UCL matches (W8, D2), scoring goals after the 70th minute in each of the last three.

The visitors have lost their last two away games.

They have kept one ocean sheet in their last six competitive games.

Chelsea have progressed from the group stage of the UCL in 17 of their last 18 appearances at this stage. 

Head to head

This will be the first meeting between both sides in a competitive game.  

Latest performances in all competition

Dinamo Zagreb: W-W-W-W-L

Chelsea: W-L-W-L-D

Dinamo Zagreb

Dinamo Zagreb open this season’s Champions League edition with a home game against 2021 Champions Chelsea. 

The Croatian heavyweights entered this season’s competition via the playoffs. After losing 1-0 to Bodo/Glimt in the first leg, Ante Cacic’s team started the 2nd leg in a style and raced to a two-goal lead inside 35 minutes, but Norwegians pushed the game into extra time by pulling one back in the 70th minute to bring the tie to 2-2. With a flurry of changes, the head coach brought in attacking reinforcements heading into the dying minutes of normal time. The substitutions did the trick as Swiss attacker Josip Drmic scored the third goal and turned provider for the fourth inside extra time as the Croatians put the tie well beyond doubt.

Dinamo Zagreb are unbeaten in their home since July 2021 and have been in imperious form this season in the Croatian domestic league where they are yet to taste defeat after eight rounds of football, with seven wins and a draw, and this home record may become vital in ensuring that the Croatians secure a good first leg result as they look to improve on their quarter-final finish in the Europa league last season. 

With the two teams have never met in the past, this will be a relatively new challenge for Ante Cacic as he takes on Thomas Tuchel’s team.

Possible Dinamo Zagreb starting line-up

Dominik Livakovic; Stefan Ristovski, Bosko Sutalo, Dino Peric, Robert Ljubicic; Luke Ivanusec, Arijan Ademi, Martin Baturina; Mislav Oršić, Dario Spikic, Bruno Petkovic. 

Injured: None 

Doubtful: None 

Suspended: None 

Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel takes his team to Croatia with a point to prove after seeing their title defence being cut short by eventual winners Real Madrid after a pulsating double-legged quarter-final bout last season.

The blues are huge favourites to top group E which comprises AC Milan, RB Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, and head coach Thomas Tuchel will be eager to see his team take the lead in the race by securing all three points against the Croatians. 

The Blues, however, come into this encounter off the back of a hard-fought win over Ham United in the English Premier League with goals from Substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz helping them claim a comeback win.

Chelsea’s away record this season will be a cause of concern for Thomas Tuchel with the Blues, only managing to win one out of the three games they have played away from home, with back-to-back losses on the road. Coming up against a team who has made their home ground a fortress, the German tactician will have to get his tactics spot-on and ensure his team emerges victorious against a Dinamo Zagreb team backed by a hostile Stadion Maksimir.  

Possible Chelsea starting line-up

Edouard Mendy; Reece James, Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva, Marc Cucurella; Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic; Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling; Kai Havertz.

Injured: N’Golo Kante, Denis Zakaria

Doubtful: None 

Suspended: None 

Prediction

Dinamo Zagreb 1-1 Chelsea