Dinamo Zagreb vs FK Shkupi Preview 19/07/2022

Dinamo Zagreb vs FK Shkupi – 19/07/2022

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This week will see the start of the 1st legs of the 2nd qualifying round of this season’s Champions League and Tuesday evening features this upcoming opening leg between highly fancied Croatian outfit, Dinamo Zagreb, and their North Macedonian visitors, FK Shkupi.

Dinamo Zagreb will have first bite of the ‘home leg’ cherry as they hold home advantage at their Stadion Maksimir, having entered this season’s Champions League competition on the back of winning the Croatian league title at the end of last season.

On the domestic front, Dinamo Zagreb picked up where they left off at the end of last season’s successful campaign with a 3-2 home win over local rivals, Lokomotiva Zagreb, which made it seven wins from their last eight matches in all competitions.

Form and results on home soil have also been very impressive and underline how tough Dinamo Zagreb have been to beat in their own backyard as the Croatian hosts are unbeaten in their last 20 matches in all competitions.

Furthermore, Dinamo Zagreb have picked up no fewer than 17 wins in the process.

Onto FK Shkupi, and after recording a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Gibraltan outfit, Lincoln Red Imps, in the 1st leg of their 1st qualifying round tie, Shkupi could have been forgiven for thinking they had an automatic foot in this next qualifying round of this competition.

However, the Macedonain outfit were made to sweat in the return leg in Gibraltar as they were dealt a 2-0 defeat by the Red Imps, which saw Shkupi limp rather than race past the finish line in the previous round.

This upcoming tie against Dinamo Zagreb represents a much tougher task for Shkupi though, not only because the gulf in quality between the two teams but also because Shkupi have actually managed to win just two out of their last 10 matches in all competitions, both of which were on home soil at their Stadion Čair.

However, five defeats within this period overall along with the fact that this is Shkupi’s first ever season playing at Champions League level, suggest this upcoming two-legged tie against Zagreb are likely to pose the visitors plenty of problems.

With Shkupi winless in their last five away outings in all competitions, Dinamo Zagreb should record an easy 1st leg lead on Tuesday night.