Champions League | League Stage

Dec 10, 2024 at 5.45pm UK

Stadion Maksimir

Dinamo Zagrebvs.Celtic

Match preview

If we ignore the qualifying rounds, which Celtic are very familiar with, Tuesday's visitors could achieve something that no Bhoys team has done since 1986: go unbeaten in four successive matches in Europe's premier competition.

Brendan Rodgers has led his side to a respectable five points from the last nine on offer in the league phase. They've also had a 3-1 home win over German giants RB Leipzig, a goalless draw with Atalanta BC and a 1-1 stalemate with Club Brugge on matchday five.

Celtic are currently sitting in 20th place in the UCL table with eight points from five games. This would give them access to the knockout round playoffs as an unseeded team. The table is so congested that they are only two points off the coveted top eight.

In the league, the current Scottish Premiership champions are still comfortably beating their opponents, most recently winning 3-0 against Hibernian on Saturday to stay top of the table.

Since October's 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, Celtic have gone unbeaten in 13 matches across all competitions. However, they haven't won a UCL league or group phase game on the road since 2017, when they beat Anderlecht 3-0.

Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic have both experienced a similar fate in the Champions League, with Dortmund putting them to the sword. However, the Blues' defeat to the 2023-24 runners-up on matchday five was not as severe.

Nenad Bjelica's side lost 3-0 at home, with goals from Jamie Gittens, Ramy Bensebaini and Serhou Guirassy. It's just their second loss of the tournament, after their 9-2 defeat to Dortmund's Bundesliga opponents Bayern Munich on matchday one.

In between their two losses to the German powerhouses, they've had some good European results – wins over Red Bull Salzburg and Slovan Bratislava and a draw with Monaco – which puts them just inside the playoff places with seven points.

Unfortunately, Dinamo Zagreb is also struggling in their domestic league. They drew 1-1 with Slaven Koprivnica on Friday, which extended their winless streak in the Croatian top flight to four games and their overall run without a win to five games in all tournaments.

It seems that their main problem is a lack of potency in the penalty box. The Blues have only scored once in their last four games. Looking at the head-to-head column, there is nothing to split Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic. Both sides have beaten the other three times apiece.

Recent Performance

Dinamo Zagreb Champions League form:WLDWWL

Dinamo Zagreb form (all competitions):WDDLLD

Celtic Champions League form:WLDWD

Celtic form (all competitions):WWDWWW

Team News

Celtic should be fit to go on Tuesday, despite the beating they gave Hibernian. Odin Thiago Holm is still recovering from a calf injury, but it looks like he'll be back in action soon.

Nicolas Kuhn was taken off at half-time in the win against Hibernian, but Rodgers said it was for tactical reasons and he should keep his place up front with Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.

Maeda has already scored three times in the Champions League for Celtic this season. No Bhoys player has scored four times in a single edition of Europe's premier tournament since Joseph Craig in 1977-78.

Dinamo Zagreb will be without experienced striker Bruno Petkovic for Tuesday's tie due to an adductor injury.

Juan Córdoba (knee), Petar Sucic (foot) and Josip Misic (calf) are all out of action too, but the Blues still have a secret weapon in the form of winger Marko Pjaca.

The 29-year-old has scored three goals against Celtic in the past, all of which came in one match in December 2014. That was when he became the youngest player in Dinamo Zagreb history to score a European hat-trick at just 19 years old.

Possible starting lineup

Dinamo Zagreb possible starting lineup:

Zagorac; Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Torrente, Pierre-Gabriel; Ademi, Pavic; Mbuku, Baturina, Pjaca; Kulenovic

Celtic possible starting lineup:

Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Valle; Bernardo, McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda