D. Zagreb – AEK Athens FC : Preview & Prediction
After the first leg between Dinamo Zagreb and AEK Athens was postponed due to a Greek fan being stabbed last week, the originally scheduled second leg in Croatia will now be played this Tuesday as the first leg. Having lost home advantage in the second leg, Dinamo Zagreb can at least fall back on the fact that they already have six games in hand on the season (G4, E1, P1). Defensive solidity has been key for Igor Biscan’s side, as Dinamo have not conceded a goal in five of those six matches.
The “Blues” participated in Europe’s top club competition last season, and if they can replicate that home form from that campaign that saw them lose just one game from six played (G3, E2) on their way to and during the UEFA Champions League (UCL), there may be a place in this competition for them once again. The Stadion Maksimir enjoyed a famous 1-0 win over Chelsea last September, and having scored four goals in their last two qualifiers here for the UCL last season, Dynamo may be keen to seal the tie in this very first leg tie.
With the Greek Super League not kicking off until August 26, AEK Athens will be looking to continue their solid form at the end of a season that saw them lose just one of their last 12 games (G8, E3). It was an impressive way to end their 99th season of existence, as they won both the Super League and the Greek Cup, but they will want to build on that with an appearance in Europe, which would be the icing on the cake for their centenary year.
That’s not a guarantee, as the Greek side have not reached the UCL group stage since the 2018/19 season and have only one UEFA Europa League (UEL) group stage appearance since then. It is likely that their European status will not be decided in this clash, but considering they have won only one of their last 10 UCL matches away from home (E2, P7, including preliminary stages), they might have to deal with a rather complex scenario in the second leg.
Players to watch: Dinamo’s Luka Ivanusec and AEK’s Levi Garcia have proven that their goals are worth their weight in gold for their clubs. Ivanusec has now gone 27 games unbeaten when finding the back of the net (G24, E3), while AEK won in each of the 16 games in which Garcia scored during last season.
Key stat: Since the 2015/16 season onwards, Dinamo Zagreb have not been defeated in the first leg of the UCL third qualifying round (G3, E3).
D. Zagreb – AEK Athens FC : Betting Tips
Dinamo Zagreb – Win Odds: 2.25
