Betting Tip
The opening Champions League qualifying rounds against Drita (4:3 on aggregate) and Klaksvik (1:0) were unstable for Kauno Zalgiris. In both cases, Sopic's team had luck with their playing shape, while their finishing did not let them down at the decisive moment. Everything changed when Zalgiris visited Dinamo Zagreb, whose total squad value is several times higher (9.9 million euros against 65.5). In Croatia, the Lithuanian champions started conceding from the 31st minute — the statistics pointed to a potential rout (3-22 in shots and 0-9 on target). Kauno Zalgiris' single-pivot system could not give the midfield enough control because the underdogs simply could not win the ball back. Sopic's attacking set-up did not work — the wingers and attacking midfielders spent a lot of time under pressure.
Dinamo Zagreb played the opening match of the Champions League third qualifying round in their familiar 4-3-3 system. The Zagreb side are comfortable when moving the ball forward quickly. The main attacking option for the Blues, Beljo, was left without a goal, but he opened up plenty of space on the flanks for Hoxha and Lisica — they will repeat the same trick in Lithuania. Kovacevic's staff may rotate away from home — Dinamo Zagreb's domestic campaign has already started, and the current round will definitely go to the favourites.
There is no sense in Kauno Zalgiris spending their last reserves on reckless pressing in the Croatians' half. Dinamo Zagreb have a comfortable advantage — they do not need to extend the margin. We suspect the 90 minutes in Kaunas will be routine: the Zagreb side will create more chances, but it will not end in a big win. In the second half, both teams will start conserving energy.