Sunderland v Dinamo Zagreb: UEFA Europa League match preview
Unbeaten Sunderland, 9th in the UEFA Europa League table, host 18th-placed Dinamo Zagreb, with both sides arriving from mixed recent form.
The occasion and the table
Sunderland host Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League, with kick-off set for 5 November 2026 20:00. The two clubs come into the match from quite different positions in the standings.
Sunderland are 9th in the UEFA Europa League table with 7 points from 3 matches. Their record reads 2 wins, 1 draw and 0 defeats, with 4 goals scored and 2 conceded. They remain unbeaten in the competition so far.
Dinamo Zagreb are 18th with 4 points from 3 matches. They have 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat, scoring 3 goals and conceding 4. The visitors trail Sunderland in the table and will be looking to close the gap on the hosts.
Recent form and home/away records
Sunderland's most recent result was a 1-3 defeat away at Coventry City. Before that, they won 3-2 at home against Brentford, and before that they drew 0-0 at home with Leeds United. Earlier in the sequence came a 1-1 draw away at Lech Poznań, and before that a 0-2 defeat away at Bournemouth. That leaves Sunderland with 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats from their last 5 matches.
Dinamo Zagreb's form shows the same overall tally of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats. Their latest match was a 2-4 home defeat by NEC Nijmegen. Before that, they beat Anderlecht 1-0 at home, and before that they drew 0-0 away at Hapoel Beer Sheva. Earlier still, they lost 1-3 away at Viking, and before that they drew 2-2 at home with Viking.
The venue split in the UEFA Europa League this season is limited but worth noting. Sunderland have played 1 home match in the competition and won it, scoring 1 goal and conceding 0. Dinamo Zagreb have played 1 away match in the competition, a draw in which they scored 0 and conceded 0. Neither side has yet conceded in those settings in this season's competition.
How the two sides tend to play
The numbers point to two teams whose matches have often featured goals at both ends. In their last 5 matches, Sunderland scored in 3, kept a clean sheet in 1, and saw both teams score in 3. Their results in that run range from a goalless draw with Leeds United to the five-goal win over Brentford, which suggests matches involving Sunderland can take very different shapes.
In the UEFA Europa League, Sunderland's defensive record stands out: 2 goals conceded in 3 matches, alongside 4 scored. That balance has underpinned their unbeaten start in the competition.
Dinamo Zagreb have been slightly more consistent in front of goal recently, scoring in 4 of their last 5 matches. They also kept a clean sheet in 2 of those, against Anderlecht and Hapoel Beer Sheva, while both teams scored in 3. In the UEFA Europa League table, however, they have conceded 4 goals and scored 3 in 3 matches, and the 2-4 home defeat by NEC Nijmegen showed they can be opened up.
With both teams scoring in 3 of the last 5 matches for each side, the defensive organisation of both teams is likely to be an important factor at kick-off.
Estimated win chances
Estimates from market data, computed by goal888 with the margin removed, give Sunderland a 65% chance of winning, a draw 20%, and Dinamo Zagreb 15%. These figures are estimates derived from market data and are not a prediction of the result.
Calculated from market prices, not a prediction or betting advice.
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