Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk face off in a crunch Champions League fixture as both sides compete to qualify for the knockout stages alongside likely group winners Manchester City.

Zagreb won their last game 1-0, while Shakhtar romped to a 3-0 victory as the respective league leaders continued their domestic dominance.

Match Preview

Dinamo Zagreb are four points clear at the summit of the Croatian top flight with a game in hand on the team below as they continue to assert themselves in their home nation.

They are the league's joint-top goalscorers with 23 strikes from 13 games and boast the division's best defence as well, conceding a miserly six goals in that time - less than a goal every other game.

However, they have more of a fight on their hands in Europe as Shakhtar compete with them for the second qualification spot in their Champions League group, while the loser will likely finish third and drop into the Europa League.

The pair drew 2-2 in their last Champions League meeting in Ukraine, but both will be eager to win outright at the second time of asking and put themselves in the best possible position to qualify.

Shakhtar are performing even better in the Ukrainian Premier League, boasting a 10-point gap at the top of the table after 13 games.

They are the division's outright top scorers, having netted a whopping 39 goals so far - an average of three goals per game - while also allowing just six at the other end.

However, they were unable to make the most of home advantage in their earlier clash with Zagreb and will hope to win in Croatia this time around.

Should the pair draw again, their subsequent results against Manchester City and Atalanta could decide their fate.

Dinamo Zagreb form: DWDWWW
Shakhtar Donetsk form: WWDDLW

Team News

Zagreb head coach Mirko Barisic has no major injuries or suspended players to contend with and can choose from a fully-fit squad.

Luis Castro, on the other hand, is not so lucky at Shakhtar, as he is already without Maycon, Andriy Totovytskyi, Maksym Malyshev and Oleksandr Pikhalionok, leaving the side very light in midfield.

However, a spate of recent injuries to left-back Ismaily, centre-back Serhiy Kryvtsov and wingers Marlos and Yevhen Konoplyanka have turned the situation into a full-blown injury crisis.

To top it all off, midfielders Taras Stepanenko and Alan Patrick are suspended domestically after being sent off in successive games but will be available for their European tie.

Dinamo Zagreb possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Stojanovic, Theophile-Catherine, Dilaver, Peric, Leovac; Olmo, Ademi, Moro, Orsic; Gavranovic

Shakhtar Donetsk possible starting lineup:
Pyatov; Bolbat, Matviyenko, Khocholava, Cipriano; Stepanenko, Patrick; Tete, Taison, Solomon; Moraes

We say: Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Shakhtar Donetsk

With two attractive sides facing off, we could be treated to another even, goal-filled contest. It is so difficult to separate the pair, and it could be a repeat of the reverse fixture.