Dinamo Zagreb vs Genk prediction 19.02.2026 | Europa League

After losing the domestic title to Rijeka last season, Dinamo Zagreb are on course for their 26th national championship trophy, as they are currently five points ahead of the next team on the standings, Hajduk Split. In the Europa League, Dinamo Zagreb had many more problems, but they sneaked into the knockout phase and now will try to progress even further. Mario Kovacevic's team is playing well lately, with a three-game unbeaten streak. Last weekend, Dinamo Zagreb won 4-0 at home against Istra 1961.

Dinamo Zagreb's head coach, Mario Kovacevic, was thrilled with the performance in the previous game. He said, "I can only congratulate the players; we were good from the very first minute… At halftime, I told them we needed to get more serious; we were pushing for the second goal. We created a lot of good situations and many good attacking moves. I'm happy for the players and the fans."

Dinamo Zagreb have almost a full squad for the game against Genk. Only Ismael Bennacer and Raul Torrente should skip the upcoming tie.

Genk are not playing well in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League this season. They are seventh on the table, and it will not be surprising if they are not part of the Championship group in a couple of weeks. In the Europa League, Nicky Hayen's team played much better, even coming close to the top eight teams. Genk were excellent lately with four wins in a row. In the most recent outing, Hayen's team won 3-2 on the road against KV Mechelen. The visitors created significantly better goal-scoring chances throughout the game, so their victory was well-deserved.

After Genk's victory over KV Mechelen, head coach Nicky Hayen spoke about what has changed for his team recently. He commented, "Everyone has clicked and works together. We still have freedom, but always within certain limits. That tactical discipline is important; on the ball, the coach suggests possible solutions. Besides that, you have to work; everyone knows exactly what's expected of them. Confidence comes with things that work on the pitch and getting points. That's how we started building, and we keep making progress."

Genk should have a full squad for Thursday's game in Zagreb.