[ad_1]
Before WAC’s appearance in the Europa League at Dinamo Zagreb, both teams were surprised by a wave of positive corona tests. As the Wolfsbergers announced shortly before leaving for Zagreb, the tests were effective with a total of eight players and coaches. Dinamo had reported five players recently infected with the coronavirus hours before. Croatian coach Zoran Mamic also falls in love with Thursday night’s clash (9pm. /DAZN) outside.
Get DAZN’s free trial month now and never miss an Austrian match in the Europa League!
The names were not mentioned on either side. At WAC, there hasn’t been a single crown case over the course of the season. Dinamo wrote in a statement Wednesday morning about a total of nine players from UEFA’s team roster who were absent against WAC due to a crown infection. Members of the supervisory staff are also affected. Mamic is represented by his second assistant coach, Alen Peternac. Damir Krznar, originally intended as a substitute, also gave a positive crown test, according to the club. Preparation for the game is likely to be severely disrupted for both teams.
The Wolfsbergs traveled to Zagreb with optimism. He started out as a loser, the Lavanttaler surprised in the Europa League. Four points from games against CSKA Moscow and Feyenoord Rotterdam – WAC is currently at the top of the group. Dinamo Zagreb really looks there. Series champion Croatia with Champions League experience will host on Thursday; three weeks later, the second meeting is scheduled in Klagenfurt. WAC gladly assumes the role of outsider.
Michael Liendl on the latest EL group: “Should be warning enough”
Ferdinand Feldhofer saw a certain “respect that my team has earned”. However, the “wolves” coach declared – even before the three-hour bus ride -: “That doesn’t change the fact that Dinamo is the favorite.” The Zagreb team would dominate the national league like Salzburg. In fact, the 21-time national champion has only held one championship party since 2006 – the title went to Rijeka in 2017.
Dinamo is currently, as usual, first in the Croatian league, with seven wins and two draws in nine rounds. In qualifying for the Champions League, however, came the end against Ferencvaros Budapest, in the Europa League, the team scored two draws so far, scored and did not get a goal. “They have strong individual players, but also a strong team with few weak points,” Feldhofer said. The 41-year-old also emphasized: “But we also have our qualities.”
The Wolfsbergs prove it internationally in a 4-1 win in Rotterdam. Midfielder Michael Liendl reached the UEFA round after scoring three goals. The veteran recalled the previous year with a glance at the table. Back then, after a brilliant start with four points against Mönchengladbach and AS Roma, the WAC only managed one point from the remaining four matches. “We started in exactly the same way last year and then we didn’t climb. That should be warning enough,” Liendl said.
Ferdinand Feldhofer: “The fact is, they are still outsiders”
Your coach isn’t trying to look at the table anyway. “We cannot make the mistake of calculating too much,” Feldhofer said. “In the draw, we all thought we would definitely not play a role. The fact is that we are still underdogs.” Feldhofer referred to the strength at the opponent’s home. Dinamo have lost only one of the last 13 matches at the Maksimir Stadium in the Champions League and Europa League: 1: 4 against Manchester City in December of the previous year. The Croats won eight.
In the case of “Modri” (blues), the mandatory UEFA crown tests did not turn out as expected either. Coach Mamic reported a severe headache Tuesday. “So I took a test. I’m fine, but the result was positive,” he told Croatian broadcaster RTL. Croatian media cited the trip to Moscow to see CSKA as a possible reason for the infections. With French central Kevin Theophile-Catherine, Dinamo is also missing an important man due to a shoulder injury. Marin Leovac has a connection to Austria. The 32-year-old left-back grew up in Lower Austria and played for Vienna Austria for a long time before playing five times for the Croatian national team with dual citizenship.
[ad_2]
