Tottenham Hotspur vs. Dinamo Zagreb Betting Preview – Europa League, March 11, 2021

Spurs welcome Dinamo Zagreb to London on Thursday, March 11, for the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie.

Tottenham heads into this clash as the bookmakers’ overwhelming favorite to advance to the quarter-finals, but can the Croatian champions upset the odds and trouble Jose Mourinho’s side?

Keep reading to see my Tottenham Hotspur vs. Dinamo Zagreb prediction and betting pick.

The leading online sportsbooks haven’t sprung any surprises with their odds for this matchup.

As expected, Tottenham (1.36) is the obvious favorite to win the first leg, leaving Dinamo Zagreb (7.00) as the rank outsider. The price for the draw (5.00) is also notably high here.

Let’s take a closer look at the teams.

Following a mid-season wobble, it’s starting to feel as though Spurs are getting back on track.

A damaging run of five defeats in six EPL games saw Tottenham plummet down the Premier League standings after the turn of the year. But Mourinho’s men have since won each of their previous three league outings.

Four-goal hauls against Burnley and Crystal Palace saw Gareth Bale bag two braces and one assist in the space of three games, while Harry Kane chipped in with three goals and two assists in that time.

With Bale seemingly back to his best and Kane continuing to rack up a freakish amount of goal involvements, Tottenham’s forward line is arguably the deadliest of its kind in the Europa League.

Spurs crushed Austrian side Wolfsberger AC in the Round of 32, advancing with an 8-1 aggregate win. Having also made light work of their Group J opponents earlier in the campaign, Mourinho’s side is among the favorites to go all the way this season.

It goes without saying that if Zoran Mamic’s men are to get anything from their trip to the English capital, they will need to be at their very best.

Granted, Dinamo Zagreb enjoyed an unbeaten group-stage campaign – 4 wins, 2 draws – before seeing off Russian club Krasnodar in the Round of 32. But Tottenham poses a completely different threat altogether.

The Blues are currently enjoying a five-game winning streak in the Croatian top-flight. In fact, they have kept five straight clean sheets during that period. Having suffered just three defeats in 23 league matches this term, Dinamo is on course to defend the domestic title.

However, it is difficult to imagine Mamic’s men carrying that kind of form onto the European stage.

As the odds suggest, the Croatian champions won’t find life easy against Tottenham. But if they can maintain their defensive solidity, they could frustrate the home side.

Of course, the price for the Tottenham win is nothing to write home about. But having taken everything into consideration, I just can’t see Spurs losing this one.

Kane and Bale seem to have struck up a formidable partnership in recent games, not to mention Son Heung-min! With Tottenham’s defensive game continuing to improve, Mourinho’s men should be able to build a healthy first-leg advantage on Thursday.