As Bayern Munich embarks on their 17th consecutive year in the Champions League, they’re set to host Dinamo Zagreb at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening.
Despite losing their Bundesliga crown last season, Bayern has kicked off this term with strong performances. Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb, having clinched the top spot in Croatia once again, is gearing up for another shot at European glory.
Bayern Munich is a staple in UEFA’s elite competition, having made the knockout stages of the Champions League for 16 consecutive seasons. Their record in the group stage is impressive: they’ve gone unbeaten in 40 matches, winning 36 of those, and had a streak of 17 consecutive victories until they were held by Copenhagen at home last season.
After topping their group last year, Bayern navigated past Lazio and Arsenal in the early knockout rounds before facing Real Madrid in the semi-finals. They were close to another final, but Real Madrid scored late in the second leg to overturn the tie, dealing a blow to former coach Thomas Tuchel, who left the club over the summer.
Tuchel’s departure came after Bayern’s failure to secure a 12th straight Bundesliga title. They finished third behind Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart, marking their lowest league finish since 2011.
Vincent Kompany, a relatively inexperienced manager, was brought in to revitalize the squad, and he has led them to four straight wins across all competitions so far.
In their most recent match, Bayern thrashed Holstein Kiel 6-1, with Jamal Musiala scoring just 14 seconds into the game and Harry Kane netting a hat-trick.
Dinamo Zagreb, who faced Bayern twice in the Champions League back in 2015 losing both matches with Robert Lewandowski scoring five goals—are making only their third group-stage appearance in eight years. Despite their domestic dominance, Dinamo has struggled in the Champions League, finishing last in their group in the last seven attempts.
Last season, Dinamo Zagreb finished second in their Europa Conference League group, advanced through the knockout-round playoffs, but were eliminated by PAOK after a heavy defeat.
In this year’s Champions League playoffs, Dinamo breezed past Qarabag with a 5-0 aggregate win, continuing their unbeaten run in all competitions. However, a recent defeat to rival Hajduk Split ended their 23-match unbeaten streak and knocked them off the top of the Croatian league table.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
With Leroy Sané making his season debut last Saturday, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany should have most of his key players available for their Champions League opener this week.
The only absentees will be Josip Stanisic (knee), Tarek Buchmann (thigh), and new signing Hiroki Ito (foot). Sané, along with Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller, Mathys Tel, and Michael Olise, will all be vying for spots in the attack. Jamal Musiala is expected to start alongside Harry Kane, who netted his 40th goal in 35 Bundesliga appearances at the weekend, including his fifth hat-trick.
On the other side, Dinamo Zagreb’s coach Sergej Jakirovic might tweak his lineup after their recent loss in Croatia’s 'eternal derby.' Sandro Kulenovic could be introduced into the starting XI; he made an impact coming off the bench in the defeat to Hajduk Split and has scored five goals in six league games this season.
Bruno Petkovic is likely to lead the attack, with Petar Sucic and Martin Baturina joining him in midfield.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Kim, Upamecano, Guerreiro; Pavlovic, Palhinha; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Dinamo Zagreb possible starting lineup:
Nevisitic; Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Mmaee, Pierre-Gabriel; Ademi, Sucic; Cordoba, Baturina, Pjaca;
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Bayern Munich 4-1 Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo has their work cut out for them on the opening day of the Champions League, traveling to Bayern's stronghold. The German giants have been nearly unbeatable at home, winning 20 of their last 25 Champions League matches, with only one loss.
Bayern's home turf has become a fortress, and it's a daunting prospect for any visiting team. With their arsenal of in-form attackers, Bayern looks poised to keep their winning ways going. Expect them to come out strong and make a statement with a convincing victory, getting their campaign off to a flying start with all three points.
