Manchester City vs Dinamo Zagreb 02/10/19

2 October 2019

Two sides that have enjoyed a remarkable start to the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League (CL) season go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City take on Dinamo Zagreb.

The ambitious Premier League heavyweights have struck a commanding 3-0 away win over Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday one, which was their eighth win in the last ten fixtures in the competition (W8, D1, L1). After suffering a shock 2-1 home loss to Lyon in the 2018/19 CL opener, the Citizens have drastically improved on their home performances, having put together four CL wins at the Etihad, racking up 19 goals across those matches. What’s more, the reigning champions of England have already bagged 14 home goals in three competitive games at home this term, keeping a clean sheet twice in the process. Although ranked as big favorites to make it two wins out of two when they take on Dinamo, Pep Guardiola’s men face a worrying record of six defeats from their last 16 European outings, home and away (W9, D1, L6).

Meanwhile, the visitors have registered their fifth victory in 37th game in the CL group stage (W5, D5, L27) with an absolute dismantling of the debutants Atalanta 4-0 at home. Before that, Dinamo pulled off just one triumph in 27 CL matches (W1, D2, L24), which was interestingly their sole success against the Premier League opponents (2-1 home win over Arsenal in September 2015). However, the Blues are not comfortable playing against the English sides on the road having lost five of their last six European trips (D1, L5), conceding 13 goals in the process. But, Dinamo’s recent European away from is in sharp contrast to that, as they’ve won five of their last ten continental trips, losing just twice in that span (W5, D3, L2).