2023/2024 Conference League Group C: Dinamo Zagreb - Viktoria Plzen - Astana - Ballkani

[Dragonite]

[Dragonite]

Dinamo Zagreb




Road to Conference League:
CL QR2: Astana
CL QR3: AEK Athens
EL Playoff: Sparta Praha


Viktoria Plzen




Road to Conference League:
Conference League QR2: Drita
Conference League QR3: Gzira
Conference League Playoff: Tobol


Astana




Road to Conference League:
CL QR1: Dinamo Tbilisi
CL QR2: Dinamo Zagreb
EL QR3: Ludogorets
Conference League Playoff: Partizani


Ballkani




Road to Conference League:
CL QR1: Ludogorets
Conference League QR2: Larne
Conference League QR3: Lincoln Red Imps
Conference League Playoff: BATE Borisov



Prediction:
1. Dinamo Zagreb
2. Viktoria Plzen
3. Astana
4. Ballkani

[Jua Ferreira]

Prediction

V. Plzen
D. Zagreb
Ballkani
Astana

[Firnen]

Prediction

1. Dinamo Zagreb
2. Viktoria Plzen
3. Astana
4. Ballkani

[bugylibicska]

1.Dinamo Zagreb
2.Plzen
3.Astana
4.Ballkani

[Squid]

Really tough draw for Ballkani, probably won't get more than 4 points.

[Firnen]

Really tough draw for Ballkani, probably won't get more than 4 points.

I'd argue that Astana is a very good draw from Pot 3, they looked horrific in every away match this season. And Plzen already failed to beat Drita away and is not exactly the personification of reliability.

Ballkani was never making it past the Groups, they're mostly here because of an excellent draw in the Qualifiers (Larne, Lincoln, BATE).

[Dragonite]

Dinamo Zagreb

Ivanusec left for Feyenoord, replaced by Marin.

Ballkani

Korenica left, replaced by Ramadani.

[Polak]

Astana (in their current state) and Balkani are much weaker than their opponents. The only question is who finishes in 1st and 2nd and who finishes 3rd and 4th.

1. Dinamo Zagreb
2. Viktoria Plzen
3. Ballkani
4. Astana

[babaluj1]

My prediction:

1.Dinamo
2.Viktoria
3.Balkani
4.Astana

In this group, Dinamo needs at least 5 wins, Viktorija at least 4 wins. Balkani could surprise Astana.

[Dragonite]

Expected wins for Dinamo Zagreb and Viktoria Plzen.

Ballkani had zero shots on target against Viktoria Plzen!!

It's their fourth consecutive defeat in Conference League, and the third consecutive 0-1 defeat.

[babaluj1]

A group with two distinct favorites and two distinct outsiders. I would give Dinamo a slight advantage over Viktoria, and the fight for third place will be uncertain.

[Squid]

Vikoria now have the advantage after Ballkani manages to despatch Dinamo last night.

[matt]

Ballkani keep being understimated. Astana is a shadow of its former self, that's sad. Kazakhs love football, 24k people for a Conference League game.
I will start to believe in a Ballkani qualification only if they earn a result in Kazakhstan.

[Dragonite]

Congratulations Ballkani!


2-0 is the biggest win in their Conference League history. Last season they also won once, but it was 4-3 against Sivasspor.


It's time to talk about Dinamo Zagreb...

Road to Conference League:
CL QR2: Astana
CL QR3: AEK Athens
EL Playoff: Sparta Praha

When they lost CLQR3 against AEK Athens I didn't say anything.

In my mind it was a blessing in disguise, Dinamo Zagreb is a notorious CL punching bag, they would only go there to be smashed by everyone else, so better not going there at all.


Then they lost ELQR4 against Sparta Praha, again I didn't say anything.

In my mind it was another blessing in disguise, Dinamo Zagreb is a mediocre EL team, more likely than not they wouldn't even pass the group, and they would lose a lot of matches there.

So going to the Conference League instead where allegedly Dinamo Zagreb is a titan and would be smashing everyone else was great.


But now they're finally in Conference League, there's nothing else below this level that they can go to (except domestic football), and they're here losing too, against Ballkani!!


Let's see if this was just one bad game or if more humiliations will happen in the following ones.