ZAGREB PREVIEW
It’s Thursday and that can only mean one thing, it’s time for UEFA Europa League action for the Lads. After two away trips to Portugal and Poland, where we picked up four points out of six and to be fair it could have been a maximum haul, the Lads are back on home soil and the Stadium of Light hosts its second Europa League fixture. Travelling to Wearside are Croatians Dinamo Zagreb, can Sunderland put their domestic woes behind them and record a third win in the Europa League?
OUR OPPONENTS
It’s safe to say that our opponents are the pinnacle of Croatian football. They are most decorated in terms of honours, having won 26 domestic league titles. That sits proudly in their trophy cabinet alongside 26 domestic Cup honours plus one thing that no other Croatian club has ever achieved at all: a European trophy. That came in 1967 when they saw off Leeds United 2-0 on aggregate to win what was then known as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
They come to Wearside in 18th place in the Europa League standings with a win, a draw and a loss in their three fixtures. That win came on matchday two when a penalty converted by Dino Beljo in 90+6 minutes saw off Belgium’s Anderlecht in Zagreb. On Sunday, Dinamo parted ways with Mario Kovačević despite the then incumbent holding a win percentage of over 65 per cent which in most cases is damn impressive. The reason for his departure? He lost a league game 1-0, to a newly promoted side. Ruthless.
Dinamo’s Club President is a familiar name to most football supporters, Zvonimir Boban. Boban spent nine seasons at another of our European opponents, AC Milan, before retiring in 2001. Other noted names that have worn the blue of Zagreb include Manchester City pair Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol and Croatian national team icons Luka Modrić and Davor Šuker.
THE LADS
If anything, the Europa League campaign so far has been the one shining light for the Lads this season. The results we have achieved so far is the complete polar opposite to what we are seeing in the Premier League. RLB hasn’t fielded his strongest possible line up in Europe, preferring to give players like the impressive Jules Ahoka valuable game time.
I am desperate to see him field our best eleven but I just think he’s going to go with some fringe players to start and then bring on the big guns if things aren’t going to plan. I reckon this could be the line up on show on Thursday night:
Roefs
Meunier – O’Nien – Danso – Methalie
Ahoka – Sadiki
Talbi – Le Fée – Fofana
Tutierov
REF WATCH
Thursday’s fixture is going to be officiated by Andrea Colombo. The 36 year old from Como has refereed two Europa League matches this season so far, his most recent assignment being on matchday two at Rennes. The Italian has very few European games under his belt but was the man in the middle for the 2025 UEFA Youth League final between Trabzonspor and Barcelona. He is very much an unknown quantity.
