Celtic aim to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League as they face Dinamo Zagreb, who are on the verge of elimination.
Dinamo Zagreb has long been the dominant force in Croatian football, but last season nearly saw their reign come to an end, narrowly avoiding a title loss after Rijeka’s late-season collapse. Their performances in the qualifying rounds for this tournament in August were far from convincing, and their group stage campaign began disastrously with a 9-2 defeat.
Since that heavy seven-goal loss to Bayern Munich, Dinamo has shown signs of recovery, winning two and drawing one of their next four matches, though they suffered another setback with a loss to Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago. On the domestic front, their struggles persist, as they currently sit third in the Croatian league standings—well below their usual standard.
Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, has guided his Celtic side to a commendable five points from their last three group-stage games. This run included a statement-making 3-1 victory over German heavyweights RB Leipzig, flanked by a goalless draw with Atalanta BC and a 1-1 tie against Club Brugge on matchday five.
Celtic’s tally of eight points from five games positions them 20th in the UCL standings, securing a potential berth in the knockout round playoffs as an unseeded team. The race remains tight, with Celtic only two points away from breaking into the coveted top eight.
Domestically, the reigning Scottish Premiership champions continue to dominate with ease. Their latest success came in a commanding 3-0 victory over Hibernian on Saturday, further solidifying their insurmountable lead at the top of the table.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest team news.
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Celtic live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Champions League match in the UK:
TV channel: TNT Sports 2
Live stream: Discovery+, Discovery+ App
This game is available on TNT Sports 2 for live TV broadcast in UK. Streaming options are available on Discovery+ and Discovery+ App.
What time does Dinamo Zagreb vs. Celtic kick off?
This Champions League clash takes place at Stadion Maksimir, Croatia, and kicks off on Tuesday, December 10 at 6:45 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across the UK:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Greenwich Mean Time | Tuesday, December 10 | 5:45 p.m. |
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Celtic predicted lineups, team news
Dinamo Zagreb will miss Josip Misic who was forced off last month against Rijeka due to an injury and will join fellow midfielder Petar Sucic on the absentee list.
Lukas Kacavenda will continue in the center alongside Maxime Bernauer and Martin Baturina despite a debacle against Dortmund.
Dario Spikic, Sandro Kulenovic, and Marko Pjaca will be part of Nenad Bjelica’s front three.
Dinamo Zagreb predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Zagorac (GK) — Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Torrente, Ogiwara — Kacavenda, Bernauer, Baturina — Spikic, Kulenovic, Pjaca.
Injured: Josip Misic, Petar Sucic
Suspended: None
As for Celtic, Brendan Rodgers will stay away from rotating his side too much considering the potential chance of knockout qualification.
Odin Thiago Holm remains sidelined for Celtic due to a calf injury.
Reo Hatate, Arne Engels, and Kyogo Furuhashi returned to the XI against the title rivals. The trio may be preferred again for the trip to Croatia.
Celtic predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Schmeichel (GK) — Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor — Engels, McGregor, Hatate — Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda.
Injured: Odin Thiago Holm
Suspended:
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Celtic Prediction
Dinamo Zagreb’s recent home form leaves them as underdogs against a dominant Celtic side, who come into the match with no major injury concerns. We predict a win for the Scottish champions on Tuesday night.
- Prediction: Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Celtic
Champions League fixture schedule this week
All times BST
Tuesday, December 10
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. Celtic (5:45 p.m.)
- Girona vs. Liverpool (5:45 p.m.)
- Atalanta vs. Real Madrid (8:00 p.m.)
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Inter Milan (8:00 p.m.)
- Brest vs. PSV Eindhoven (8:00 p.m.)
- Club Brugge vs. Sporting Lisbon (8:00 p.m.)
- RB Leipzig vs. Aston Villa (8:00 p.m.)
- Red Bull Salzburg vs. Paris Saint-German (8:00 p.m.)
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich (8:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, December 11
- Atletico Madrid vs. SK Slovan Bratislava (5:45 p.m.)
- Lille vs. Sturm Graz (5:45 p.m.)
- AC Milan vs. Crvena Zvezda (8:00 p.m.)
- Aston Villa vs. Juventus (8:00 p.m.)
- Arsenal vs. Monaco (8:00 p.m.)
- Benfica vs. Bologna (8:00 p.m.)
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Barcelona (8:00 p.m.)
- Feyenoord vs. Sparta Prague (8:00 p.m.)
- Juventus vs. Manchester City (8:00 p.m.)
- Stuttgart vs. BSC Young Boys Bern (8:00 p.m.)