Arsenal will secure their place in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday evening if they beat Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have won four of their previous six matches and, despite disappointing trips to Italy, are close to securing eighth place in the opening league stage of Europe's premier competition. This means they head straight to the last 16, avoiding a potentially difficult play-off.
Arsenal have won all three of their home matches in this year's competition and will be strong favorites for the visit of Dinamo. The Croatian giants have recovered somewhat from their 9-2 defeat at the hands of… Bayern Munich During the opening round of league stage matches, they recorded two wins and two draws from the subsequent five matches which left them in the frame to qualify for the knockout stage.
here 90 minutes Evidence of a pivotal European clash in north London.
Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb match result (all times)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Arsenal |
Dinamo Zagreb |
|---|---|
|
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa – 18/01/25 |
Dinamo Zagreb 3-2 Varazdin – 12/22/24 |
|
Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham – 01/15/25 |
Lokomotiv 3-1 Dinamo Zagreb – 12/14/24 |
|
Arsenal 1-1 (3-5 A) Manchester United – 01/12/25 |
Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic – 12/10/24 |
|
Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle – 01/07/25 |
Dinamo Zagreb 1-1 Slaven – 12/06/24 |
|
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal – 04/01/25 |
Hajduk Split 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb – 12/01/24 |
|
nation |
TV Channel/Live Broadcast |
|---|---|
|
UK |
TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports Ultimate, Discovery+, Discovery+ App |
|
US |
Paramount+, FIX |
|
Canada |
DAZN CANADA |
Mikel Arteta will curse his recent injury luck with William Saliba adding his name to an extensive list of absentees. The Frenchman missed the weekend draw with Aston Villa due to a hamstring problem He could be missing for at least several weeks.
Saliba joins fellow defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the treatment room, but Riccardo Calafiore is available again after overcoming an injury.
naturally, Bukayo Saka is still out for the Gunners They will miss their creativity and ingenuity on Wednesday and beyond. Gabriel Jesus Out for the rest of the season With a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in the FA Cup third round, Ethan Nwaneri is fully fit and should be part of the matchday squad.
Arsenal's expected lineup against Dinamo Zagreb (4-3-3): tape; Timber, Gabriele, Calafiore, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Sterling, Havertz, Martinelli.
former Golden Ball Winner Fabio Cannavaro has taken charge of Dinamo and will oversee his first match with the Croatian side on Wednesday. He will aim to leave a positive impression on the club's fans with a lively display in north London.
However, the Italian will be without top scorer Bruno Petkovic for Dinamo's first competitive match of the year, with the striker absent due to a muscle problem. He was joined on the sidelines by Petar Susic.
Expected formation of Dinamo Zagreb against Arsenal (4-2-3-1): nivestik; Restovsky, Theophile Catherine, Mamai, Pierre Gabriel; Adeyemi, Stojkovic; Cordoba, Baturina, Bajaca; Kulenovic.
Arsenal's perfect home record in UEFA Champions League He should remain free for Dynamo's visit to the Emirates. Even with a growing list of injuries plaguing Arteta's squad selections, they will have little difficulty overcoming a team that nearly conceded double figures in Bavaria in September.
Surrendered a two-goal lead against Villa on Saturday It wasn't the most desirable warm-up for Wednesday's game, but Arteta should be able to rest and rotate while also avoiding slippage. Dinamo may be struggling after having a long winter break, and there could be problems early in Cannavaro's reign that Arsenal could exploit.
