Dinamo Zagreb V Lokomotiva Zagreb
Friday 19th July 2019 – 20:00 Kick-Off
Croatian 1HNL
Pick: Dinamo Zagreb Win to Nil
Odds: 10/11
Bookmaker: BetVictor
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/5 | 4/1 | 10/1 |
* (All betting odds were correct as of July 17th 2019 at 15:59)
Preview: The new Croatian 1HNL league season begins for these two teams, as capital rivals Dinamo Zagreb and Lokomotiva Zagreb meet inside the Stadion Maksimir. Last season’s corresponding fixtures ended 1-0 and 3-0 to the home side, who went on to be crowned champions for the 21st time in their history. Can the visitors, who are significant underdogs, keep matters closer this time around?
Croatia 1HNL Betting at Betfair
Dinamo Zagreb Preview – Reigning champs to begin season as they finished the last?
The most successful club in Croatian football consolidated an excellent twelve months, in which they surged to a 21st league title by finishing a staggering 25 points ahead of the entire division, by capturing the Croatian Super Cup last weekend. The latter triumph will have felt all the more sweeter with it being against their nearest competitor at the present time, beating Rijeka 1-0.
Now, though, attentions swiftly return to another league campaign. Quite how they surpass the last remains to be seen, because Dinamo were imperious throughout. To only suffer two defeats and go the entire term without losing at home (W16 D2) is some achievement. Neither of those defeats were at the hands of their opponents in this season opener. In fact, it was the complete opposite.
Dinamo swatted their city rivals aside on three of the four occasions they met in the league (W3 D1; GF6 GA1), winning both home encounters without conceding a goal (1-0 and 3-0). That has been a theme throughout their meetings over the years, with Dinamo especially dominant in this fixture as hosts having won 15 of the previous 16 meetings in such fixtures.
It is therefore no surprise Dinamo are overwhelming favourites to begin the defence of another league title with maximum points. Their price is very thin, though, which means creativity is needed in order to support them. All three of their victories over Lokomotiva in the previous season were without conceding a goal. The same outcome here, with Dinamo winning to nil, is 10/11 with BetVictor.
Lokomotiva Zagreb Preview – City rivals seeking another shock victory?
The team unlucky enough to face the irrepressible champions in the first match of the new season are Lokomotiva Zagreb, a club which once upon a time would ground share with Dinamo Zagreb before finding a more permanent residence of their own. On the plus side, there won’t be much traveling involved. The venue should also be very familiar to them. Every cloud and all that.
On a more serious note, this has not been a kind fixture to them over the years. Apart from a rare success in March 2018, when they thrashed Dinamo 4-1, this fixture has been a guaranteed loss on the schedule. That emphatic victory being the only occasion Lokomotiva have avoided defeat away to their capital rivals in sixteen previous meetings. Another shock 4-1 Lokomotiva scoreline is 200/1 with Betfair.
Finding reasons as to why Friday’s encounter will fare any different to those of the past isn’t straightforward. Lokomotiva finished in mid-table last season (W13 D10 L13, GF51 GA43 overall record), securing almost half as many points as their matchday rivals. They also collected just a single point from four league meetings with Dinamo, losing both the away encounters without so much as scoring a goal.
They weren’t a bad side on their travels, though (W6 D4 L8, GF26 GA24). Their tally of six away wins was only one shy of the figure managed back at home, even managing to score at a slightly better rate (1.44 compared with 1.39 at home). While only one of those encounters with Dinamo last season was settled by more than the odd goal, losing 1-0 twice, drawing one of the home meetings 1-1, before a 3-0 loss in the closing stages.
Dinamo Zagreb V Lokomotiva Zagreb Key Facts:
- Dinamo Zagreb went all of last season without losing at home in the league (W16 D2).
- Lokomotiva Zagreb were victorious on six occasions away from home last term (W6 D4 L8).
- As hosts, Dinamo Zagreb have won 15 of the 16 meetings between these teams.
Betting Summary
Dinamo dominated this fixture last season, just like how they dominated the entire league. Three of the four league meetings with Lokomotiva saw them come out on top, with the one outlier being a 1-1 draw away from home. Both meetings at Dinamo’s Stadion Maksimir ended in victories for Dinamo without them so much as conceding a goal.
Three out of their four encounters produced two goals or fewer, with the other barely breaching that mark (a 3-0 scoreline). So this could be tight yet again. Under 2.5 Goals is 6/5 with PaddyPower, which becomes 9/4 when paired with a Dinamo Zagreb win. Two of Dinamo’s three victories over Lokomotiva were by a 1-0 scoreline, which is 6/1 with Bet365.
