Europa League action continues this Thursday as Dinamo Zagreb host Rapid Vienna in the latest Group H contest, with both teams having three points to their name.
The visitors were able to defeat their opponents last time they met, but each club shall be hoping to place some pressure on current leaders West Ham United.
Match preview
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Dinamo Zagreb have had one victory so far in the Europa League which has been sandwiched by two defeats, with the first coming against West Ham and the most recent against Rapid Vienna.
However, the Croatian outfit showcased their qualities when they defeated Genk 3-0 in their second game of Group H, with a goal coming from Luka Ivanusec and a brace by Bruno Petkovic.
Yet when they visited their opponents on Thursday, Damir Krznar's team were unable to get any points, falling behind in the ninth minute of the game in what was a disastrous start.
Even though Mislav Orsic was able to get Zagreb back into the game with his goal, they were unable to hang on to the result, conceding again as they lost 2-1.
Since that fixture the club have been undefeated in league football, picking up a draw and two victories in their most recent matches and that is something that will have created plenty of confidence for Thursday.
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However, Rapid Vienna have also not lost a game since their previous Group H fixture, also drawing once and winning twice as they continue their impressive run of form.
Dietmar Kuhbauer will have been pleased with how his team have been performing as of late, with the club currently enjoying a six-game unbeaten spell.
They have not suffered a defeat since facing West Ham United in the second game of their Europa League campaign, which saw them fall short of the mark with a 2-0 loss.
Rapid Vienna were also beaten in the opening match of the group when they faced Genk, which is what made the three points against Dinamo Zagreb so important.
With a trio of teams all on three points, the need to earn more is crucial right now, which is something that will add pressure to both clubs heading into Thursday night.
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Team News
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The hosts are currently missing Arijan Ademi due to an ankle problem, but several midfielders are capable of stepping into that role, with Amer Gojak the most likely man to dominate the middle of the park.
Dinamo Zagreb opted to use a 4-3-2-1 formation at the weekend and that is something that worked out well, which could lead to the club repeating it on Thursday.
Paul Gartler has managed to maintain his position as the number one goalkeeper for Rapid Vienna and that is likely to continue into this fixture.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the field Ercan Kara is playing with plenty of confidence at the moment after scoring a brace at the weekend, and he is set to lead the line once again.
Dinamo Zagreb possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Franjic, Theophile-Catherine, Sutalo, Moharrami; Misic, Gojak; Orsic, Ivanusec, Andric; Petkovic
Rapid Vienna possible starting lineup:
Gartler; Ullmann, Aiwu, Hofmann, Stojkovic; Arase, Grull, Ljubicic, Grahovac; Fountas, Kara
We say: Dinamo Zagreb 1-1 Rapid Vienna
Both teams head into this fixture with plenty of confidence, having picked up great results in their respective leagues.
With each club needing three points in this fixture, this could easily end up being a case of two teams cancelling each other out as they push for the victory.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Dinamo Zagreb win with a probability of 45.62%. A win for Rapid Vienna had a probability of 27.42% and a draw had a probability of 27%.
The most likely scoreline for a Dinamo Zagreb win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.49%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.87%) and 2-0 (8.72%). The likeliest Rapid Vienna win was 0-1 (9.11%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.71%). The actual scoreline of 3-1 was predicted with a 4.1% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Dinamo Zagreb would win this match.
