At the midway point of the league phase, Dinamo Zagreb found themselves in a promising position to be the first Croatian team in 30 years to advance to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League (UCL). The team known as the Blues managed to collect seven points from their first four matches (2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss). However, their fortunes took a turn for the worse with a three-game stretch without a victory (1 draw, 2 losses), during which they failed to score a single goal. As a result, they now face a challenging task to secure a spot in the top-24.
In their most recent UCL match, Fabio Cannavaro’s team suffered a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal, leaving them two points and positions outside of the playoff spots. Their chances of progressing further in the competition now rely heavily on ending their five-match winless streak at home in this tournament (3 draws, 2 losses). Failing to do so not only means an early exit from European football but also marks their worst run in this competition in over ten years.
That is promising news for AC Milan’s opponents, as they have emerged victorious in all six previous head-to-head matches in UEFA competitions, with a combined score of 17-3. AC Milan will be hoping to maintain their winning streak, as only a victory in the eighth matchday will secure a top-eight finish, which is quite an accomplishment considering they started their European campaign with two consecutive losses.
Following those initial setbacks, AC Milan bounced back with five consecutive wins. Their 1-0 triumph over Girona in the same competition last week was followed by an exhilarating 3-2 comeback victory over Parma in Serie A on Sunday. These results have contributed to an impressive start for new manager Sérgio Conceição (W5, D1, L1), with AC Milan notably rallying from behind to secure four of those five victories.
Players to keep an eye on: Marko Pjaca, who spent most of the recent 3-0 UCL loss to Arsenal on the bench, might make a comeback for Dinamo. It’s worth noting that he has only lost four out of the last 45 matches he scored in for the club (W34, D7). However, two of those defeats occurred this season. On the other side, Christian Pulisic has scored seven of his 11 UCL goals as either the first or last goal of the game, including all three goals this season for Milan.
Interesting fact: After half-time, AC Milan has scored 10 out of their last 12 goals.
