Liam Duckstein
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Dinamo Zagreb welcome Nijmegen to Maksimir on matchday three of the Europa League League Phase, and the gap in recent form between these two sides is hard to ignore. Dinamo have won four of their last five matches across competitions, while Nijmegen have gone four games without a win, drawing every single one of them. That stalemate streak is the kind of oddity that rarely survives a trip to a team playing with this much confidence at home.
Dinamo’s attack has been carried by one man in particular lately. Dion Drena Beljo has scored six goals in his last four appearances, a return that makes him the obvious focal point of their 4-2-3-1 setup. On the other side, Tjaronn Chery has been Nijmegen’s main creative outlet, scoring twice in his last three games and dictating tempo from midfield even as results have stalled around him.
Hot stat: Nijmegen have conceded six goals across their two League Phase matches so far this season while scoring just once, a goal difference of minus five that places them 27th in the 36-team table. Dinamo, by contrast, have shipped nothing in Europe this term.
| 🏆 Tournament: | UEFA Europa League 2026/27, League Phase |
| 🏟 Venue: | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb |
| 🗓️ Date: | 22.10.2026 |
| ⏰ Time: | 18:45 CEST |
Dinamo Zagreb vs Nijmegen prediction
We predict a Dinamo Zagreb win here, and not a narrow one either. Their domestic form reads 80% winrate over the last month, and their European defense has not conceded a single goal through two matches. Nijmegen arrive having drawn four straight games and sitting second from bottom in the table with a minus five goal difference. Backing the hosts to win comfortably looks like the smarter angle than chasing a tight scoreline.
Style wise, Dinamo commit more fouls per game (65 across their last five) and pick up more cautions (5 yellow cards) than Nijmegen (38 fouls, 3 yellows), which points to a physically assertive home side that presses high. Pass accuracy favors the visitors slightly on paper, around 83% completion compared to Dinamo’s 80%, but Nijmegen’s inability to convert that control into results suggests their patient build-up has not translated into cutting edge. Expect Dinamo to dominate territory and force turnovers in dangerous areas, which plays right into Beljo’s hands.
| 🔥Hot Tip: | Dinamo Zagreb to win to nil |
| ⚽Total Goals: | Over 2.5 |
| 💥Both Teams To Score: | No |
| 🎯Total Corners: | Over 9.5 |
Team Analysis
Dinamo Zagreb’s last outing produced a 5-1 thrashing of Slaven Belupo, with Beljo again among the scorers as part of his red-hot streak. Before that came a 1-0 win over Anderlecht, a narrower result but still a clean sheet, and a 1-2 loss to Hajduk Split that stands as their only blemish in five matches. The pattern is clear: Dinamo score heavily against weaker domestic sides and tighten up defensively in bigger assignments, which bodes well against a Nijmegen side low on confidence. In our preview of Dinamo Zagreb vs Anderlecht we leaned toward goals at both ends with overs and BTTS as the smarter angle, but the eventual 1-0 scoreline kept things tight and that particular read did not land.
Nijmegen’s most recent match ended 2-2 against Fortuna Sittard, extending their run of draws to four in a row. Before that it was 1-1 with Levski Sofia, 1-1 with Ajax, and 1-1 with GA Eagles, a run that shows a team capable of scoring but consistently unable to see games out. Their only defeat in that stretch was a heavy 0-5 loss to Juventus in Europe, which exposed just how fragile their backline looks against sharper attacking sides, a worrying sign ahead of facing Dinamo’s in-form front line. In our preview of Nijmegen vs Levski Sofia we expected the hosts to avoid defeat with goals at both ends, and the 1-1 draw backed that read up nicely.
Most recent Head-to-Head Matches
Dinamo Zagreb and Nijmegen have no recent competitive meetings on record between them. This fixture marks a fresh chapter in whatever rivalry develops between the two clubs going forward.
🚨Check out our dedicated Dinamo Zagreb vs Nijmegen stats page for more info.
Nijmegen. Source: Official Facebook
Pre-game odds and win probability: Dinamo Zagreb the favourite
- Moneyline Dinamo Zagreb 1.64 | Nijmegen 4.65
- Draw 4.18
Bookmakers have Dinamo as clear favorites at roughly 57% implied probability, and the numbers line up with the underlying form. Nijmegen’s price near 4.65 reflects their struggles in Europe this season, four draws in a row domestically simply do not inspire confidence against a hungrier side. We see little value backing the draw here given how one-sided the recent trends look.
Possible Starting Lineups
Dinamo Zagreb possible starting eleven
- GK: Dominik Kotarski
- DF: Niko Galesic, Scott Mckenna, Sergi Dominguez, Moris Valincic
- MF: Lukas Kacavenda, Josip Mišić, Mislav Oršić, Miha Zajc, Kirill Kravtsov
- FW: Dion Drena Beljo
Kotarski has started every one of the last five matches and brings composure between the posts. The back four of Galesic, Mckenna, Dominguez and Valincic has been the most used grouping recently, with Galesic chipping in two goals from defense. In midfield, Kacavenda and Mišić offer the defensive screen while Oršić, Zajc and Kravtsov rotate behind Beljo in the familiar 4-2-3-1. Beljo himself is the player to watch, given his six goals in four games heading into this one.
Nijmegen possible starting eleven
- GK: Gonzalo Alejandro Crettaz Ortega
- DF: Deveron Fonville, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Perr Schuurs, Gabriel Bras
- MF: Noe Lebreton, Darko Nejašmić, Tjaronn Chery, Jamiro Monteiro, Willum Thor Willumsson
- FW: Kevin Kers
Crettaz Ortega remains the preferred keeper based on recent appearances, and the back four of Fonville, Kaplan, Schuurs and Bras has started together consistently in a mirrored 4-2-3-1. Lebreton and Nejašmić sit as the double pivot, with Chery pushed forward as the creative spark alongside Monteiro and Willumsson. Kers leads the line and has shown he can find the net, though he will need plenty of service against a Dinamo defense that has not conceded in Europe this season.
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Dinamo Zagreb. Source: Official Facebook
TipsGG Match Prediction
Dinamo Zagreb look the far sharper side heading into this one, and the stats back that feeling up. Four wins from five recently, a perfect defensive record in Europe, and a striker scoring at nearly two goals per game make them clear favorites at home. Nijmegen’s run of four straight draws, including a heavy 0-5 defeat in their only truly testing match this campaign, points to a side that struggles when pressed by a motivated opponent. We predict a Dinamo win, perhaps by a two or three goal margin, with a real chance of a clean sheet given how porous Nijmegen’s backline has looked on the road in Europe. To be honest, the hosts covering a goal and a half handicap feels like the shrewder route into this fixture rather than a straight moneyline bet at short odds.
