AC Milan vs D. Zagreb prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-13 16:45.
AC Milanās latest attempt to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL), and do so as Italian champions for the first time since 1994, got off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at Salzburg. Coach Stefano Pioli described the performance as āpositiveā but identified shortcomings, as Milan made it just one clean sheet across their last nine UCL outings.
By following that up with a weekend victory against Sampdoria, the Rossoneri go into this clash unbeaten in 12 games overall, and they are now richly expected to end a nine-year wait for a UCL home win after registering six straight victories at the San Siro. That includes four clean sheets, with the other two games in that streak seeing Milan fight back after conceding first.
While Dinamo Zagreb looked like cannon fodder immediately after the group stage draw, their winning start against Chelsea (1-0) ā which resulted in the sacking of Blues manager Thomas Tuchel ā has shortened the odds against them finally progressing from a UCL group, after seven failed attempts spanning back to their group stage debut in 1998/99.
It was also that campaign which brought Dinamo their sole UCL group away win to date, but the clubās record when travelling at this stage is otherwise abysmal (D3, L17). That includes 14 occasions where they were beaten āto nilā by a margin of two or more goals, seemingly priming Dinamo to extend their all-time 100% loss rate vs Milan to a fifth game.
Players to watch: Junior Messias remains Milanās most recent UCL matchwinner, and he was on target again in the Rossoneriās last Serie A outing. In opposition, Dinamoās Mislav OrÅ”iÄ was the hero against Chelsea, and after also netting the winner vs HNK Gorica at the weekend, four of his last five goals have opened the scoring.
Hot stat: Three of the four prior H2Hs have produced exactly two first-half goals.