Dinamo Zagreb vs Astana Prediction 25.07.2023 Champions League

• Competition: UEFA Champions League Qualifying
• Date: Tuesday, 25th, July 2023
• Kickoff: 19:00 UTC +1 / 20.00 CEST
• Venue: Stadion Maksimir (Zagreb)

Dinamo Zagreb kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign from the second qualifying round as they host Kazakh side Astana at their Maksimir Stadion.

After the completed first qualifying round, several new teams are included in the second stage, among them Dinamo Zagreb. In the fight for a place in the next stage, the Croatian outfit will face the unpleasant Astana, who knocked out Dinamo Tbilisi with a 3-2 aggregate victory in the previous qualifying round.

Dinamo Zagreb vs Astana Betting Tips: Dinamo to Win

The most trophy-winning Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb did not successfully start their title defense as they were defeated at their "Maksimir" on the first day of the season and that no less and no more than the biggest rival Hajduk from Split with 1-2.

A poor start to the season in the domestic championship, however, should not disrupt the game of Igor Biscan's men. The Zagreb team, in fact, managed to decorate their showcases with a trophy from the Croatian Supercup in mid-July by defeating Hajduk 1-0 in the final, so that success will serve as a wind at their backs ahead of Astana's visit.

Meanwhile, it cannot be said that Astana arrive in the Balkan region of Croatia on the best level and form, as a 2-1 win over Dinamo Tbilisi in the second leg of the Champions League qualifiers was their only one from their last four games across all competitions, while they come in this one after a goalless 0-0 draw against Atyrau.

The Croatian Dinamo, unlike the Georgian one, will represent a serious obstacle for the Kazakhs. The Blues have found themselves in the group stage of Europe's strongest competition with increasing frequency in recent years, meaning experience is on their side in the two-legged tie against Astana, who have only reached that level of the Champions League once - that was in 2015-16.

In addition to experience and a better squad, the Zagreb team will also have a home advantage, so we hope that they will leave the last atom of strength in order to gain a healthy lead ahead of the second leg in Nur Sultan. With all that, it should be noted that the Croats already eliminated Astana in the Champions League qualifiers once - it happened in 2018 when Dinamo won in both legs (2-0 away / 1-0 at home) - which is another reason why the victory of the hosts should be taken into account.