UEFA held the round of 32 draw for the Europa League on Monday where Dinamo’s opponent was announced.
In the round of 32 of the Europa League, Dinamo Zagreb will play against Czech champions Viktoria Plzen! The first match will be played on February 14 in Plzen, and on February 21 at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, reports Gol.hr on December 17, 2018.
The draw took place on Monday at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Dinamo was chosen in the first pair. German football representative Celia Šašić and former Portuguese player Ricardo Carvalho matched the champions of the Czech Republic and Croatia.
That is precisely how Dinamo will face off against a rival who fell out of the Champions League this season, though the Zagreb club isn’t too worried about passing their opponent in the Europa League. Viktoria played in the Champions League this season against Real Madrid, Roma and CSKA Moscow. The Czechs managed to win the third place after they beat Roma in the last round, to the horror of the Russian club who came in fourth place, even though they defeated Real Madrid twice – the current European champion.
Dinamo coach Nenad Bjelica commented the round of 32 draw.
“It will be an attractive game for us, and I’m sure many of our fans will travel to the Czech Republic, and we will have a full stadium behind us. Viktoria is a club we can compete against,” said Bjelica after the draw.
“As for the draw itself, it could have been better and worse for us,” said the Dinamo coach, concluding:
“Viktoria comes from the Champions League, and they are certainly a good opponent. They are a mild favorite in these matches, but we have a chance, and I believe we can go further.”
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