- Head-to-Head Record:
- This will be their seventh meeting in European competitions, with both teams winning three of the previous six matches.
- Their last encounter was a 4-3 victory for Dinamo in December 2014 in the Europa League group stage.
- Dinamo Zagreb’s Performance:
- They have a balanced record against Scottish teams (W4 L4), winning all home matches.
- Dinamo secured Champions League qualification through play-offs after winning the Croatian title for the 25th time.
- Their home form in the Champions League has been weak, with only two wins in their last 13 games (D3 L8).
- Dinamo is noted as the most direct team in possession in this year’s competition.
- Marko Pjaca scored a hat-trick against Celtic in 2014, while Samy Mmaee has faced Celtic before with Ferencvaros.
- Celtic’s Performance:
- Celtic qualified directly after winning their 54th Scottish title.
- They are unbeaten in their last three Champions League matches (W1 D2) and aim for their best European streak since 1986.
- Their away record is poor, with one win in their last 13 European games.
- Nicolas Kuhn has been a creative force, creating seven chances after carries, the joint-most in this season’s competition.
- Forward Daizen Maeda has scored three Champions League goals this season, nearing a club record set in 1977-78.
- Other Insights:
- Dinamo’s expected goals (xG) in their last game were a low 0.14 (0-3 v Borussia Dortmund).
- Both Dinamo and Celtic are among the teams with the highest loss percentages in Champions League history.
This match-up pits Dinamo’s direct play and historical home strength against Celtic’s bid to extend their unbeaten run and improve their poor away form.
