Celtic’s goalless draw at Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, edged them closer to the knockout stages of the Champions League, but it was a night filled with both promise and frustration. Despite dominating large portions of the match, the Scottish champions were unable to break down their Croatian hosts, leaving manager Brendan Rodgers with mixed emotions. While a draw might seem like a fair result, Celtic’s superiority in terms of possession and chances left a lingering feeling that they could have taken all three points.
The match, played at Stadion Maksimir, started on a difficult note. The pitch was far from ideal, and the game was a scrappy, fragmented affair from the start. Both teams struggled to establish any real rhythm in the first half. Celtic, despite having numerous promising positions, found themselves unable to capitalize on these opportunities. Dinamo’s goalkeeper, Danijel Zagorac, remained largely untroubled throughout the first 45 minutes. His only real moments of action came from a few tame attempts by Celtic Paulo Bernardo’s free-kick from 20 yards out sailed over the bar, while a blocked cutback from Nicolas Kühn, meant for Kyogo Furuhashi, barely tested the goalkeeper.
Dinamo, for their part, offered little in attack, though they had a half-chance late in the first period. A mistake by Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers allowed Sandro Kulenovic to get in a flick on goal from a tight angle, but the shot was wayward and failed to trouble Celtic’s goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel. The first half was marked by defensive solidity from both sides but little creativity or spark going forward.
Rodgers made a surprise decision by leaving out Arne Engels, Celtic’s record signing, from the starting lineup. Engels, who had been a key player early in the season, had been less influential in recent weeks, and Rodgers opted for a midfield trio of Bernardo, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor instead. However, Hatate’s performance, in particular, was underwhelming. Despite his dazzling display against RB Leipzig in their previous match, Hatate struggled with consistency in possession, and his performance would have raised doubts about his place in the starting XI moving forward.
Celtic’s injury woes also began to surface early in the second half. Right-back Alistair Johnston, a regular starter, was forced off after a heavy challenge, with Tony Ralston coming on as his replacement. Ralston, who had experience playing in Croatia with the Scotland national team in October, slotted in without issue.
The second half began with more urgency from Celtic. Within the first five minutes, Kühn looked set to give his side the lead, cutting inside from the right and unleashing a shot towards goal. However, a crucial deflection from Dinamo defender Maxime Bernauer took the ball over the bar, preventing what seemed like a certain goal. The miss was a reminder that while Celtic were the dominant side, their finishing lacked the clinical edge needed to convert possession into goals.
Dinamo, meanwhile, were struggling to create any meaningful chances. Their attacking play was blunt and largely ineffective, but Celtic remained cautious, aware that a single slip could allow the hosts to snatch an unlikely goal. The Croatian side’s best opportunity came in the 70th minute when Marko Pjaca fired a fierce shot that was blocked by Celtic’s Auston Trusty.
Rodgers made attacking changes in an attempt to secure a winner. Engels was brought on for Hatate, while Luke McCowan also entered the fray. Celtic’s strategy shifted to a more aggressive approach, with Adam Idah replacing Furuhashi to add more physicality up front. The changes created more attacking intent, and Celtic pushed forward in the latter stages of the match. However, despite their efforts, they were unable to find the breakthrough.
The final moments saw a series of near misses. Idah met an Engels cross, but Bernauer’s intervention saw the header go wide. Then, a Kevin Theophile-Catherine interception denied Idah a tap-in after a clever pass from Engels.
In the end, the match finished 0-0, a result that kept Celtic’s hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds very much alive. Their strong performance, particularly in defense and midfield, will have been a positive takeaway, but Rodgers will no doubt feel that his team should have left Zagreb with all three points. Nevertheless, Celtic now head into their final group match against Young Boys in Glasgow, with their playoff aspirations firmly in their own hands.
