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Preview: Zagreb v Arsenal: Team News, Starting XI & Prediction

By on September 16, 2015
arsenal's olivier giroud

Image credit: Daily Star

Arsenal begin their latest Champions League adventure tonight as we take on Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

It’s been a frustrating few years for us in Europe that have seen us qualify from the group stages only be to dumped out at the last-16 stage by the likes of Bayern Munich or Barcelona.

Thanks to the new seeding system, we’ve now been pitted against the German giants earlier than usual and we face a mammoth task to finish top of the group this year.

If we are to have any hope, a win tonight is a must and we’ll also have to take six points from our two games against Olympiacos. It will then come down to our double-header against Munich.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, this is a tricky group to navigate and we have to take it one step at a time, starting against the Croatian champions this evening.

We go into the game in good form having dispatched of Stoke with ease at the weekend so hopefully we can continue that form tonight.

Team News

Arsene Wenger has hinted he’s ready to rotate his team ahead of Saturday’s clash with Chelsea.

Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin have been left back in London to rest in preparation for our trip to Stamford Bridge.

Per Mertesacker is back in training following a nasty virus but it remains to be seen whether he’s in any condition to start just yet.

Jack Wilshere is set to undergo surgery that will rule him out for at least three months meaning he’ll join Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky on the long-term injury list.

Preferred XI

That’s the side I’d like to see play. I think Kieran Gibbs deserves a run-out as he’s seeing very limited first team football these days and I’d play a strong side as we need a positive start in Europe.

However, in reality it looks like Arsene is going to take a risk and rest a few more players with the likes of Arteta coming in. This is the formation some of the papers think we’ll see:

Prediction

Zagreb are unbeaten in 11 months but they don’t play sides with Arsenal’s quality every week. Even with several changes to our eleven, we can still put out an excellent team and there’s no reason we shouldn’t come home with all three points tonight.

I’m going to back the boys to secure a vital away win: Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Arsenal

What do you think the score will be later? Would you rest any more players?

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