DinaDinamo Zagreb-Chelsea is a match valid for the first day of the Champions League group stage and is played on Tuesday at 18:45
Chelsea have been drawn in the same group as Italian champions AC Milan, with whom they are likely to have to contend for first place. The other two teams that complete the group are Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, opponents that – at least on paper – should not be able to challenge the qualification to the round of 16 of the Rossoneri and the Blues, clearly more competitive in all respects. In the Champions League, however, there are no pre-written matches and both will have to earn and deserve on the field the knockout stage: the pitfalls, in fact, can be constantly around the corner.
The first six days of the Premier League have returned us a Chelsea seemingly less strong than last year’s. Thomas Tuchel’s team has changed a lot in the summer and is having an inconsistent performance: in the last two home games they have beaten Leicester and West Ham with difficulty, while in the away games they have given up the three points against Leeds and Southampton, certainly not irresistible opponents. The main suspect remains the defence, which has already conceded nine goals in the first six matches: the Blues’ only clean sheet came in the opener against Everton. In Zagreb, the main change could be at goal, where Kepa appears slightly favoured over Mendy. On the left lane Chilwell is favoured over Cucurella, while Tuchel will also bring former Juventus man Zakaria, bought in the last hours of the market, to the bench.
Dinamo have almost two months of games in their legs, as well as several cup qualifying matches. Coached by Ante Cacic, the Croatians are as devastating as ever at home – the tally so far stands at seven wins and one draw, with 27 goals scored in eight matches – but they have also performed well in Europe, where in the final play-off they overturned Bodo/Glimt in the return leg, having been beaten 4-1 after extra time.
Cacic and Ivanusec
The Prediction
Dynamo Zagreb are at their best in front of their home crowd, where they are still unbeaten. Their only defeat of the season came in the Norwegian away match in Bodo. It therefore promises to be a more complicated away match than expected for a Chelsea that, for now, is struggling. Victory for the Blues does not seem to be in question, but the hosts, with several talented players from midfield up (Orsic, Petkovic), are very likely to pierce the English rearguard, which is far from airtight in the Premier League, on at least one occasion.
Dynamo Zagreb-Chelsea likely line-ups
- DINAMO ZAGREB (4-4-2): Livakovic; Ristovski, Sutalo, Peric, Ljubicic; Spikic, Ademi, Ivanusec, Orsic; Petkovic, Baturina.
- CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Kepa; Fofana, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mount, Sterling; Havertz.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
