Sunderland host Dinamo Zagreb at the Stadium of Light on November 5, 2026, for their fourth Europa League league-phase match. The sides have never met before. Sunderland are ninth in the standings after two wins and a draw, while Dinamo are 18th, three points behind, with one win, one draw and one defeat. Their European results contrast with their domestic campaigns: Sunderland sit bottom of the Premier League, whereas Dinamo are competing in the Croatian title race. Both arrive after defeats, making this first meeting an opportunity to respond.

Sunderland's Recent Form and Key Stats

Sunderland have found greater success in Europe than in their domestic league. They opened their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar, followed it with a 2-1 win against Torreense and then drew 1-1 with Lech Poznan. That unbeaten start gives them an average of 1.3 goals scored and 0.7 conceded per Europa League match.

Their wider form has been less convincing. Sunderland lost 3-1 to Coventry City on October 31 and have recorded one win, two draws and two defeats across their last five matches. In that stretch, they have averaged 1.0 goal scored and 1.6 conceded. The contrast leaves the Black Cats looking to preserve their unbeaten European record while recovering from another difficult league result.

Injuries and tournament eligibility also limit Sunderland's options. Dan Ballard has a tight hamstring, while Romaine Mundle and Haib Diarra are out with knee and muscle injuries respectively. Nordy Mukiele was withdrawn after suffering a head injury in the previous match. Chemsdine Talbi, Jocelin Ta Bi, Melker Ellborg, Alan Browne and Aji Alese are ineligible for the competition.

Goals have featured late in Sunderland matches: there has been at least one second-half goal in 21 of their last 23 games. At home, two of their previous 10 matches finished without a goal for either side. Those figures describe matches as a whole, rather than Sunderland's scoring record alone.

Dinamo Zagreb's Recent Form and Key Stats

Dinamo Zagreb also travel after a setback, having lost 1-0 to Rudeš on October 31. They have nevertheless won three of their last five matches, losing the other two, with averages of 2.0 goals scored and 1.4 conceded. Their Europa League results have been more uneven: a 1-0 win over Anderlecht and a 0-0 draw with Hapoel Beer Sheva were followed by a 4-2 defeat to Nijmegen. Across those three European fixtures, Dinamo have averaged 1.0 goal scored and 1.3 conceded.

Dion Beljo stands out among Dinamo's attacking players. He has scored 17 goals in 18 matches, including two in this competition, and is taking 5.4 shots per game. The next player on the team's leading scorers list has four goals. Sergi Dominguez leads Dinamo's accurate-passing figures at 84.5 per 90 minutes, giving the visitors another notable contributor as they seek to improve on their latest European result.

Dinamo have scored at least once in 37 of their last 40 matches and have failed to score only twice in their previous 10 away games. Their European away record is less encouraging, with just one win in their last eight such fixtures. Timing is another striking feature of their results: at least one first-half goal has been scored in 20 of Dinamo's last 22 matches and in 18 of their last 20 away matches. These are total match-goal figures, not goals scored by Dinamo alone.

Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb Match Analysis

The European standings favor Sunderland, whose unbeaten start gives them a three-point advantage over Dinamo. The visitors, however, have won more of their last five matches overall and possess a strong recent scoring record. Sunderland's home setting and European results must therefore be weighed against their one win in five games and the availability issues facing the squad.

There is also reason to watch the opening period closely. A first-half goal has featured in 18 of Dinamo's last 20 away matches, as well as 20 of their last 22 games overall. Sunderland's Europa League fixtures have produced both a 1-0 win and two matches in which each side scored, so their three European results do not point to just one pattern. Dinamo's 0-0 draw with Hapoel Beer Sheva offers a reminder that an early goal is far from certain, but the visitors' repeated first-half goal trend is the clearest timing statistic available for this fixture.

Sunderland vs Dinamo Zagreb prediction from BetMines: Over 0.5 goals at Half-Time with 80% probability.