Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb prediction, team news and preview

Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb: what the match decides

Sunderland welcome Dinamo Zagreb to the Stadium of Light on Thursday 5 November 2026 in round four of the Europa League league stage. The hosts are ninth in the 36-team table with 7 points from three games, while Zagreb are 18th with 4 points.

Both sides currently sit in the zone that leads to the play-offs for the round of 32. Benfica lead the table on 9 points, so Sunderland are three points off the top, and a win would strengthen their hold on a place near the front.

For Zagreb, a result in England would lift them clear of mid-table uncertainty. Our lean is a close home edge, though the form guide gives you reasons to doubt it.

Sunderland and Dinamo Zagreb recent form

Sunderland's last five reads LDDWL: one win, two draws and two defeats, with 5 goals scored (1.0 per game) and 8 conceded (1.6). They kept one clean sheet and failed to score twice. In the Europa League they are unbeaten, with a win and two draws (DWW), and they drew 1-1 at Lech Poznan last time out in the competition.

The domestic picture is weaker. They lost 0-2 at Bournemouth and 1-3 at Coventry, and drew 0-0 with Leeds. The 3-2 League Cup win over Brentford is the one high point. At home they have played two, winning one and drawing one, scoring 1.5 and conceding 1.0 per game.

Dinamo Zagreb's last five is WWLWL: three wins and two defeats, with 10 scored (2.0 per game) and 7 conceded (1.4). They beat Anderlecht 1-0 and Slaven Belupo 5-1, then lost 2-4 to NEC Nijmegen, beat Rijeka 2-1 and lost 0-1 at Rudes. Away from home they have won one and lost one, scoring 5 and conceding 2 in two games.

Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb team news

Sunderland have a long list. Out are D. Ballard and H. Diarra (muscle injuries) and R. Mundle (knee injury). J. Angulo, A. Browne, M. Ellborg, J. Ta Bi and C. Talbi are all listed as out because they are off the roster. N. Mukiele is doubtful with concussion.

For Dinamo Zagreb, S. McKenna is out as inactive. R. Mudrazija, I. Nevistic, N. Nsoki, P. Tabinas and F. Topic are listed as out because they are off the roster. S. Radeljic is doubtful, also listed as inactive.

The roster-related entries suggest that several of these players may not be part of the competition squad, so the practical impact may be smaller than the length of the lists implies. Sunderland's three genuine injuries and the Mukiele concussion doubt are the ones that matter most. No line-ups are published yet; they are confirmed about an hour before kick-off.

Storylines: Sunderland's two-sided season and Zagreb's swings

Sunderland's Europa League start has been steadier than their league form. Seven points from three games put them in the top ten, and a win would build a cushion before the later rounds. The question is whether a side that has lost two of its last five can carry the European consistency into a midweek-style fixture.

Dinamo Zagreb arrive with the opposite shape: volatile, but productive. They have one win, one draw and one defeat in the league stage and a goal difference of -1, and they conceded four to NEC Nijmegen in their most recent European outing.

A Zagreb result would show they can handle English opposition away from home. A Sunderland win would push them towards the top eight, while a defeat would let the Croatian side close the gap.

Key battles: Zagreb's attack against Sunderland's back line

The central contrast is simple. Zagreb score 2.0 goals per game over their last five, while Sunderland concede 1.6 over theirs. Zagreb scored in four of those five matches, and three finished with both sides scoring.

At the other end, Sunderland have scored 1.0 per game and failed to score twice in five. Zagreb's away record of 2.5 scored and 1.0 conceded is encouraging, but that is only two matches, and one of them was the 0-1 defeat at Rudes.

Expect Sunderland to lean on home games, where they average 1.5 goals for and 1.0 against. The game will probably be decided by whether Zagreb's forward output holds up against a back line missing several squad members, and by how Sunderland's depleted group handles the second half.

Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb head-to-head

Our data lists no previous meetings between Sunderland and Dinamo Zagreb, so there is no head-to-head record to draw on.

That makes recent form, home advantage and the league-stage table the more reliable guides for this match. Neither side has a historical edge to lean on.

Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb prediction

We lean towards a narrow Sunderland result. They are higher in the table, unbeaten in Europe this season and have not lost at home in their two games there. Zagreb's away numbers are decent, but they have conceded 1.4 per game and lost two of their last five.

On goals, the lean is towards both sides scoring. Both teams have had three of their last five games with goals at each end, and Zagreb's 2.0 goals per game meets Sunderland's 1.6 conceded. A total of two or three goals looks the most likely shape.

What could change it: Sunderland's injury list, a Mukiele concussion call, and Zagreb's ability to repeat their 5-1 away form rather than their 0-1 defeat. MATCH PULSE's three AI engines (GPT, Claude and Gemini) publish their independent analysis of the match before kick-off.

How to watch Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb

Our data lists no official broadcasters for this match. Check the UEFA Europa League's official broadcast partner in your country and its official app for live coverage.

The match is on Thursday 5 November 2026 at the Stadium of Light. The page shows kick-off in your own time zone, and line-ups are confirmed about an hour before the start.

We have not listed this competition's broadcasters yet. Check the competition's official broadcast partner in your country and its official app.

Only official rights holders are listed; availability can change. Watching through unofficial streams is unsafe and unfair to the clubs.

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