Does Sparta turn around the defeat from the first leg?
The home side from the “Golden City” will be looking to make up for a 1-3 first leg loss to the Croatians. What Sparta Prague vs Dinamo Zagreb betting tips does the betting database offer? Even though the defeat in the first comparison was not undeserved for the “Rudí”, it turned out to be one goal too high. Thus, from a playing point of view, the hosts have what it takes to turn the result around.
In addition, the personnel situation speaks for a home victory. The visitors lost a particularly offensively strong midfielder in Luka Ivanusec after the match. The 24-year-old scored in the first leg and set up another goal for his team. But now the Croatian international is joining Dutch champions Feyenoord Rotterdam. His departure is undoubtedly a weakening of the attacking department of the “Modri”.
For the match in the epet Arena between Sparta Prague and Dinamo Zagreb the forecast aims at a home victory.
Sparta Prague – statistics & current form
Sparta competed in the qualification for the Champions League before the qualification for the Europa League. Here, the kickers from Moldova recorded a very narrow elimination against Copenhagen. Only after losing a penalty shootout in the second leg did the desire to participate in the top flight come to an end.
Now, the 13-time Czech champions hope to at least make it into the Europa League. Sparta can take heart from the dress rehearsal last weekend: Prague won 3:1 against Karvina and defended its first place in the domestic 1st league.
After six rounds of matches in the Czech top flight, the hosts are still unbeaten and only one of their league games has not been won. The signs for a title defense are therefore not bad.
Prague convincing in attack
The offense of coach Brian Priske, who previously worked for Antwerp in the Belgian Jupiler League, is in particularly good shape. They have already scored no fewer than 17 goals in league play, giving them an average of just under three goals per league match. In view of this, betting on more than one goal for the home side in the clash between Sparta Prague and Dinamo Zagreb is also worth considering.
This is also supported by the fact that the Czechs will have to be very offensive in light of the result from the first leg, as, for example, a victory with only a one-goal lead would not be enough for them.
Prague also had the luxury of resting two of their top offensive players, Jan Kuchta and Lukas Haraslin, last weekend. The two attackers each scored three goals in league play and will now be well regenerated with the breather against Karvina.
Defense with room for improvement
However, the defensive performances of the hosts are in need of improvement. Only in one of the last seven competitive matches the leader of the domestic 1st league recorded a clean sheet and in the most recent home match on European level against Copenhagen “Zelezná Sparta” conceded no less than three goals.
Predicted lineup of Sparta Prague:
Vindahl – Panak – Krejci – Sörensen – Wiesner – Sadilek – Kairinen – Zeleny – Haraslin – Kuchta – Olatunji
Dinamo Zagreb – statistics & current form
The kickers from the Maksimir recorded a treble in their dress rehearsal last Sunday, like their opponents, in domestic league action. Against HNK Rijeka, Dinamo prevailed 2-1 in front of their own fans.
The success was deserved from an objective point of view and after a false start to the new season with a defeat against Hajduk Split, the 24-time Croatian champions have remained unbeaten in the domestic HNL for three rounds of matches. Furthermore, a parallel to Sparta is the course of the European season so far. As Croatian champions, Dinamo also initially competed in the Champions League qualifiers.
Like Prague, the visitors were narrowly eliminated in the semifinals. In the second leg against AEK Athens, the Croatians led 2-0 until stoppage time, but then conceded two goals to lose the match and stay in the CL qualifiers.
Ivanusec will be missing in attack
Now, as mentioned at the beginning, coach Sergej Jakirovic’s eleven has further lost quality with the departure of Luka Ivanusec. Instead, hopes are pinned on Bruno Petkovic, among others. The striker has always set up a goal for his teammates in the past three competitive games and contributed a goal himself on top in the recent success against Rijeka.
Nevertheless, the Plavi offense must be considered weakened after Ivanusec’s transfer to Rotterdam. Against this background, the prediction of only one goal from the visitors in the showdown between Sparta Prague and Dinamo Zagreb also seems profitable.
Predicted lineup of Dinamo Zagreb:
Nevistic – Peric – Ristovski – Moharrami – Ljubicic – Bulat – Susic – Misic – Spikic – Petkovic – Baturina
Sparta Prague – Dinamo Zagreb Direct comparison / H2H record
“Letenští” and Dinamo have faced each other three times in European competitions. After two draws in the Europa League in 2008 and a draw in a test match last month, the pairing found a winner for the first time last week with Zagreb.
Sparta Prague – Dinamo Zagreb tip
For the clash of Sparta Prague and Dinamo Zagreb, tip and betting odds on a home win are worth a recommendation. The home side already kept up with their opponents in the first leg despite a 3-1 defeat and now have the home bonus on their side.
Furthermore, the hosts’ form is just as good in league play, where they are in first place and have the most goals. The prediction is supported by the transfer of Luka Ivanusec to Rotterdam after the first leg. As a result, the visitors have lost a top offensive player who recorded a goal and assist for the 1967 Fairs Cup winners in the first tie.
