Arsenal will aim to kick off their 2015/16 Champions League campaign with an important three points when they travel to Croatia to face Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday evening.

Bayern Munich and Olympiakos make up the remainder of a tricky Group F; therefore Arsène Wenger’s side will be desperate to secure victory against the lower ranked side.

Nevertheless, the Gunners will face a side full of confidence. Zagreb became the first ever Croatian side to go through a top-flight season unbeaten on their way to the league title last season. They are unbeaten since November 2014, a run totalling an astonishing 41 matches.

They currently sit two points clear at the top of the Croatian league, with 19 points from 9 games; having won five and drawn four. They boast an excellent defensive record, having conceded just four goals all season; therefore the North Londoners will have to be at their creative best, particularly if the hosts choose to adopt a counter-attacking philosophy.

Dinamo thrashed Lokomotiva Zagreb 4-0 on Friday night to make it three wins in succession, but the Gunners also secured a morale boosting win this weekend. They claimed their first home victory of the season, with a 2-0 triumph over struggling Stoke.

The scoreline didn’t reflect Arsenal’s complete domination. They had 29 shots, 23 of which were taken in Stoke’s area. But for some profligate finishing and heroics from Jack Butland, the margin of victory would have been far more resounding. Despite this, Wenger will undoubtedly have been encouraged by the amount of chances created and the fluency within his side; they played with tempo and urgency and completely overwhelmed a hesitant Stoke side.

Wenger has a number of selection dilemmas ahead of Wednesday’s clash. Will he opt for the hold up-play of Olivier Giroud, or the raw pace of Theo Walcott up front? His selection could largely be influenced by Saturday’s huge clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal have an opportunity to go 9 points clear of the Champions with a victory in South London, however it’s imperative that they start their Champions League campaign strongly, so the veteran Frenchman will have to find the right balance.

Dinamo have former Manchester Utd player Angelo Henriquez in their ranks; however the Chilean striker never made an appearance for the Red Devils. He enjoyed brief loan spells at Wigan, Real Zaragoza and Zagreb, before joining the Croatian side permanently this summer. He scored 21 goals in 25 appearances last season, so will pose a big threat to the visitors.

Team News:

Jack Wilshere requires surgery on a hairline fracture on his left leg and is expected to be ruled out for 3 months, joining Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky on the side lines. Welbeck recently underwent knee surgery and will be out for 3 months, whilst Rosicky has a knee problem and will be out until at least November.

Per Mertesacker was involved in a minor car accident on Monday, although the club confirmed that the Gunners’ vice-captain was ‘shaken but unhurt’. However, the German is lacking match-fitness and is not expected to start, so Gabriel Paulista and Laurent Koscielny could continue at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.

Wenger may choose to rotate his squad, so Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy, Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could all be in contention to start.

Meanwhile, Zagreb have no fresh injury worries, with former Manchester United striker Angelo Henriquez expected to lead their attack. However, Gonçalo Santos is suspended after being sent off in the play-off second leg against Skënderbeu.

Statistics:

  • Dinamo have lost their last six games against English visitors – including the last three at home – and have yet to win against Premier League opponents, drawing twice and losing seven times.
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  • This is the Gunners' 18th successive group stage campaign under Arsène Wenger. They have never failed to progress from the first group phase under the Frenchman.
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  • The Croatian champions are 41 matches unbeaten in all competitions since succumbing 1-0 to FC Astra Giurgiu in the UEFA Europa League group stage on 27 November 2014.
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  • Arsenal have won 7 out of their last 11 Champions League away games, losing just two.
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  • Predicted Teams:

Dinamo Zagreb: Eduardo, Pinto, Taraval, Sigali, Pivaric, Rog, Antolic, Machado, Pjaca, Hodzic, Henriquez.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Giroud.

Verdict:

On paper, this may appear like a routine task for the Gunners, but Dinamo Zagreb are a team full of confidence and are enjoying a rich vein of form. Although they haven’t come across teams with the quality of Arsenal in their 41 match unbeaten run, they will undoubtedly be organised and disciplined.

If Arsenal are at their best, they will certainly have too much for the Croatians, but the early stages could be crucial to the eventual outcome. If Zagreb can get through the first half-hour unscathed, they will grow in confidence and Arsenal may become anxious. However, the danger for Zagreb is that if they sit too deep and allow Arsenal on to them, the North Londoners will eventually punish them with the attacking quality they have at their disposal.