Sevilla will begin their 2021/22 UEFA Europa League journey when they welcome Dinamo Zagreb to Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Thursday.
Venue: Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán (Sevilla)
Key Statistics
Sevilla have won nine of their last 15 games in all competitions (D4, L2).
The hosts are unbeaten in their last eight home games (W5, D3).
Dinamo Zagreb have won their last five away games.
They have kept three clean sheets in their last five away games.
The visitors have won their last eleven games.
Head to head
Sevilla have won both of the head-to-head meetings between both sides.
Latest performances in all competitions
Sevilla: W-D-D-D-L
Zagreb: W-W-W-W-W
Sevilla
Sevilla will be looking to secure an advantage when they welcome Dinamo Zagreb to Spain for the first leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff contest on Thursday night.
Sevilla dropped to the Europa League after finishing third in their champions league group.
Although the hosts had a hugely disappointing Champions League season, they have been excellent this season in La Liga, picking up 50 points from 24 matches. This has left them in second place in the table, just four points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Julen Lopetegui’s men have won this competition on six occasions, the last of which was in 2019-20, beating Inter Milan 3-2 in the final. And so, the club will fancy their chances of advancing deep into the tournament once again, provided they can navigate their way through this tricky playoff affair.
Los Nervionenses, who beat Dinamo Zagreb twice in the group stage of the 2016-17 Champions League, will enter Thursday’s contest off the back of a 2-0 win over Elche in La Liga and the Spanish giants are featuring in the knockout round of the Europa League for the seventh time, and the fact that they have lifted the trophy on four of their previous six appearances is an indication of their credentials.
Possible Sevilla starting line-up
Bono; Jules Koundé, Diego Carlos, Karim Rekik, Marcos Acuña; Fernando, Ivan Rakitić, Alejandro Gómez; Lucas Ocampus, Youssef En-Nesyri, Anthony Martial.
Injured: Jesús Manuel Corona, Gonzalo Montiel, Suso, Erik Lamela and Jesus Navas
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Joan Jordan
Suspended: None
Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo will enter this contest off the back of a 2-1 win over HNK Gorica on Saturday, which has left them top of their domestic table, boasting 49 points from 22 matches.
The Blues, who are 22-time Croatian champions, finished second in the group stages of this season’s Europa League, claiming 10 points from their six matches against West Ham, Rapid Vienna and Genk.
Zeljko Kopic’s side are certainly the underdogs heading into Thursday’s first leg, but their impressive win over Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final of last seasons Europa League will certainly serve as a warning to Sevilla. And for the fact that the citizens come into this encounter in a better form will certainly serve as a morale booster for them.
Possible Dinamo Zagreb starting line-up
Dominik Livaković; Kévin Théophile-Catherine, Josip Šutalo, Bartol Franjić; Stefan Ristovski, Arijan Ademi; Amer Gojak, Petar Bočkaj; Luka Ivanušec, Mislav Oršić, Komnen Andrić.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Josip Misic
Prediction
Sevilla 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
