Dinamo Zagreb Heavily Favored to Extend Unbeaten Home Run Against Winless NEC Nijmegen

Dinamo Zagreb enter Thursday's Europa League clash as heavy favorites to take all three points against NEC Nijmegen at Stadion Maksimir. The Croatian champions bring a formidable 17-match home unbeaten streak into Matchday 3, while their Dutch visitors arrive winless in their last eight fixtures across all competitions.[1]

Mario Kovačević’s squad has already collected four points from their opening two continental fixtures. Following a scoreless draw against Hapoel Beer Sheva, Dinamo secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Anderlecht last week courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty from striker Dion Beljo.[3][6]

That momentum carried over into domestic play, where Dinamo dismantled Slaven Belupo 5-1 over the weekend. The Zagreb outfit has now won four of their last five matches, scoring 14 goals in that span and sitting comfortably near the top of the Croatian HNL table.[2][4]

"We are in good shape, a new challenge is ahead of us, and we always go for the win, especially in front of our fans," Kovačević said ahead of the fixture. "It will be no different this time."[5]

"We respect NEC and their coach; we can see that results haven't been going their way lately, but they play well," Kovačević added, noting the Dutch side's tendency to push players forward in the final third despite their recent struggles.[5]

Conversely, Dick Schreuder’s NEC Nijmegen squad is battling a severe dip in form during their first full European campaign since the 2008 season. The Eredivisie side suffered a bruising 5-0 defeat to Juventus on Matchday 1 before salvaging a 1-1 draw against Levski Sofia to earn their lone point.[1][2]

Domestically, NEC has drawn four consecutive matches, most recently playing to a 2-2 stalemate against Fortuna Sittard. They have conceded 10 goals over their last five outings, exposing a defensive vulnerability that Dinamo’s in-form wingers are well-positioned to exploit on Thursday.[3][4]

History offers little comfort for the traveling Dutch supporters, as NEC has secured just one victory across their last 13 UEFA away matches. They have failed to score in four of those recent road trips, a trend that must reverse if they hope to climb out of the bottom half of the league phase standings.[1]

Schreuder typically deploys a rigid 3-4-2-1 formation with a heavy emphasis on man-to-man defending across the pitch. Tjaronn Chery remains their primary attacking threat with four league goals, but the potential absence of veteran Dušan Tadić due to injury could severely limit their creativity in the final third.[1][5]

Dinamo report a fully fit squad, allowing Kovačević to select from his strongest starting eleven without rotation concerns. Midfielders Luka Stojković and Josip Mišić are expected to dictate the tempo and control possession, while goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski looks to maintain his perfect clean-sheet record in the European league phase.[5][6]

With Dinamo boasting a raucous home crowd and superior recent form, the tactical advantage leans heavily toward the hosts. If NEC cannot tighten their defensive shape early, Zagreb's aggressive attacking front is primed to extend their European unbeaten run and push toward the knockout stages.[1][6]