Dinamo Zagreb v Arsenal preview: Kick-off time, live TV, ticket details, odds

‘If we play against Arsenal like we did against Lokomotiva, who knows what can happen’.

Arsene Wenger says Per Mertesacker will not be ready to travel to Croatia to face Dynamo Zagreb on Wednesday.

Eduardo da Silva scored (and a young Luka Modric played in midfield) as Dinamo Zagreb lost 2-1 to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in 2006, going out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round.

“It will be a big test for us, but if we concentrate on our strengths we know we can perform well”.

Dinamo, the Croatian champions and current league leaders, saw off Molde and Skenderbeu to book their place in the group stage.

“It will be really positive for us to start with three points in Zagreb, as it will give us a good start and confidence for the rest of the group stage”.

“We have Olympiacos and Zagreb first and we have to finish above them and the result will come down to that”.

“It is important to start well because the hunger of the team is shown well by how you do in every single competition”. For one thing, an Arsenal win over Chelsea would keep us right in the title race, boost morale but also wreck Chelsea and Mourinho´s and effectively end their quest to retain the title, so it is definitely worth the risk.

“So it is important that we go to Zagreb and realise what is at stake there”.

However, Zoran Mamic’s side claimed the Croatian title last season without suffering defeat and are in the midst of an astonishing 41-match unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to last November.

I thought it would be much more hard than it really is.