Kauno Zalgiris vs Dinamo Zagreb prediction 11.08.2026 | Champions League qualification

After their first domestic league title last season, Kauno Zalgiris have had a good 2026 campaign, too. In the Lithuanian league, they are at the top of the standings with two points more than Transinvest. At the same time, on the international level, they already made their best success ever by winning two Champions League qualification rounds and securing at least the Conference League group phase.

Kauno Zalgiris have been excellent lately, with only one defeat in 11 matches in all competitions. Of course, the only loss was against by far the strongest team in the span, Dinamo Zagreb. In the most recent outing, Kauno Zalgiris beat Hegelmann 2-0 at home.

After a heavy defeat in the first leg against Dinamo Zagreb, Kauno Zalgiris' head coach, Zeljko Sopic, was clear about the difference between the teams. He said, "I missed seeing normal football from my players. We can lose by seven or eight goals, but we cannot be that scared. Everyone was making mistakes simply when receiving or passing the ball. Once again, at this level, against an opponent like this, you will definitely be punished. I also have to say that our goalkeeper saved us from conceding another two or three goals. The better team won."

Kauno Zalgiris should have a full squad available on Tuesday in the rematch against Dinamo.

Dinamo Zagreb have been dominant in Croatian football in recent years. The Croatian team became regular at the international stage, too, as they have played in every UEFA competition for the last eight seasons. Last year, Dinamo were part of the Europa League regular season, where they eventually progressed in the playoffs but lost against Genk.

At the start of the 2026/27 season, Dinamo Zagreb had problems against Thun, but found a way to the next phase. Since then, Dinamo have improved and won both games with a 7:0 goal difference.

Dinamo's head coach, Mario Kovacevic, was very satisfied after a big victory in the first leg. He commented, "Congratulations to my players. We imposed ourselves from the very first minute. It wasn't easy. At the start, they were sitting in a compact block. But we didn't allow them a single shot from inside the penalty area, which made things much easier for us. After we scored the first goal, the goals started coming naturally. I don't shy away from the role of favorites."

Dinamo should have a full squad on Tuesday in Kaunas.