Dinamo Zagreb vs Fenerbahce Prediction: Cards the way to go

Dinamo Zagreb lost their grip on the Croatian league title last year as they were stunned by HNK Rijeka after seven titles on the spin. It also means they are playing in the Uefa Europa League rather than the Champions League this term, with Fenerbahce the first European visitors to Stadion Maksimir on Wednesday (20:00, TNT Sports 8).

Below you can find my Dinamo Zagreb vs Fenerbahce predictions featuring the latest match odds and team news. 

Team News

Having secured a vital 2-0 win away at Hadjuk Split over the weekend, manager Mario Kovacevic will only want to tweak his starting XI. That means goalscorer Arber Hoxha should start on the left of a 4-3-3, while Sandro Kulenovic and Dion Drena Beljo will battle it out for the number nine spot. 

Kulenovic has not started a league game yet this season, but has still scored an impressive five goals in seven, so my best guess is that he will have to settle for a spot on the bench once again. Miha Zajc faces a late fitness test while Raul Torrente and Ronael Pierre-Gabriel are both sidelined. 

Football Odds

Fenerbahce’s squad is quite the collection of familiar names. Ederson will start in goal having joined from Manchester City this summer, while Milan Skriniar will lead a back four that also includes former Premier League players Nelson Semedo and Caglar Soyuncu. 

Anderson Talisca is suspended for this one, former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is out with a head injury and Edson Alvarez is a doubt. Remember Fred? He’s rocked up in Istanbul along with Marco Asensio, who played for Villa on loan from PSG last term. With Duran out, Youssef En-Nesyri is likely to lead the line ahead of former Everton man Cenk Tosun. What a unique squad of 'players that you can list in the pub', Domenico Tedesco has at his disposal.

Dinamo Zagreb vs Fenerbahce Odds

Dinamo are the 21/10 outsiders for this fixture on home soil, with the Turkish giants priced at 13/10 for the win. A draw can be backed at 12/5 for this Europa League opener, as both teams target getting off to a positive start in the league phase. 

Over 2.5 goals has been priced at 4/5, BTTS is 4/6 and En-Nesyri is the favourite to open the scoring at 4/1. 

Dinamo Zagreb to win @ 21/10

Now the home side are the underdogs here, and you can understand why given the amount of individual talent that Fenerbahce possess. However, the Turkish side have been hit and miss so far this season, drawing three and winning three in the league, and losing their Champions League play-off to Benfica. 

Dinamo were really strong in the Champions League last term and only missed out on the knockout stages on goal difference, and they are a big force in the Europa League, only losing two out of 19 group stage fixtures since December 2014. 

They made it through their group in their last appearance in 2021/22 before losing to Sevilla, while they have also never lost to Fenerbahce (W1, D1). The Istanbul outfit are still working their way out of the Jose Mourinho era, which ended after a defeat to his new club Benfica, with former Belgium boss Tedesco overseeing two draws and one win so far. I think we’ve got good odds on a home win here, which may catch a few out - but Fenerbahce are a side in transition and Dinamo have won five of their seven league matches. 

Booking Points 80+ @ 9/2

A feisty encounter on the cards? With the atmosphere Dinamo Zagreb can produce, and the intensity of both of these teams, I believe so. Fenerbahce have been part of some brutal match-ups recently, with four of their last seven outings, including both European legs against Benfica, seeing a red card.

Against Kasimpasa last time out there were four yellows and one red in total (65 booking points), while in the 1-0 win over Trabzonspor there were seven yellow and one red (95 booking points). Given Dinamo picked up three yellows of their own in their last fixture and had a red card in their last home match, this one could go off and the referee could be very busy. Big price for a dirty encounter. 

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