Dinamo Zagreb’s current struggles: An opportune moment for Celtic?

Arijan Ademi’s injury status is uncertain, though Sandro Kulenovic is expected to play a crucial role for Dinamo. Champions League Match Details: Dinamo Zagreb versus Celtic Location: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb Date: Tuesday, 10 December Kick-off Time: 17:45 GMT Broadcast Information: Live commentary will be available on BBC Scotland Extra and BBC Radio 5 Live Extra, with live text commentary accessible on BBC Sport online. Celtic has considerable grounds for optimism when assessing the current state of their upcoming European adversaries, as Dinamo Zagreb is currently experiencing significant difficulties. While statistics can often be manipulated to support a desired viewpoint, Dinamo’s situation appears quite dire from any perspective. The team has failed to secure a victory in their last five matches across all competitions, and they have not won any of their five home games since late September. Furthermore, they have recorded no wins in their most recent four home Champions League fixtures and only two in their last 13 at Maksimir Stadium in the same tournament. This performance hardly suggests a formidable opponent. Compounding these issues is an extensive injury list, which prompted head coach Nenad Bjelic to state over the weekend that he possessed only 14 fit players for Tuesday’s encounter. Consequently, Celtic supporters would be justified in journeying to Zagreb with a strong conviction that their team can achieve its first away win in the Champions League since their triumph over Anderlecht in September 2017. This raises the question: is there any indication that the Croatian champions might secure their inaugural home victory in this season’s Champions League? Marko Pjaca netted a hat-trick in Dinamo’s most recent win against Celtic. It is noteworthy that historical data favors Dinamo. Across the six prior encounters between these two clubs, the host team emerged victorious every time, with the most recent instance occurring during the 2014-15 Europa League group stage. Ronny Deila’s squad was eventually defeated in a tumultuous match featuring seven goals, where then-teenager Marko Pjaca scored three. The winger subsequently transferred to Juventus for more than £25m but has since returned to Dinamo, now at 29 years old, with aspirations of challenging Celtic once more. Likewise, Arijan Ademi, another player from that fixture, has also rejoined the club following a period in China. Nevertheless, after making his return from injury on Friday during the draw against Slaven Belupo, the midfielder was substituted after 19 minutes and is among several players who might be unavailable. Bjelic maintains optimism that his depleted team can still pose a threat to Celtic, who currently hold a one-point advantage in the standings, and potentially secure qualification. Additionally, he hopes to close the six-point gap behind domestic league leaders Rijeka and long-standing rivals Hajduk Split to achieve a record 26th title within 32 years. While Celtic is familiar with domestic supremacy, Dinamo demonstrates it on an unparalleled scale. Consequently, Dinamo, much like Celtic, has frequently participated in the Champions League group stage. However, in all eight instances they reached this stage, they did not advance further. Despite this, Celtic must clearly avoid underestimating them. A draw at home against Monaco, combined with away victories over Slovan Bratislava and RB Salzburg, suggests that a win against Celtic could potentially secure a play-off spot. With upcoming matches against Arsenal and Milan, Dinamo might perceive this as their prime chance to register another victory. Central to their aspirations for success will be Sandro Kulenovic, who has accumulated 14 goals this season, including two against Slovan and one against RB Salzburg. Given that fellow striker and Croatia international Bruno Petkovic is among those likely to be absent, the responsibility for scoring will largely rest on the 25-year-old. First-choice goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic returned to the bench on Friday following an injury, and Bjelic will likely hope to utilize him, even though the 26-year-old became the first player to concede nine goals in the Champions League during their initial loss to Bayern Munich. Despite these player absences, the Dinamo squad still possesses some talent, yet Celtic might be encountering them at a particularly opportune moment.