Dinamo Zagreb v Skënderbeu background

Dinamo Zagreb scored a late winner in the play-off first leg in Albania, leaving Skënderbeu with a mountain to climb if they are to become the first Albanian club to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Previous meetings
• Josip Pivarić struck deep into added time in Elbasan as Dinamo came from behind to earn a 2-1 victory in the first leg. It was the sides' first meeting and also Skënderbeu's first experience of Croatian opposition.

• Dinamo's only previous encounter with Albanian opponents was a 10-2 aggregate triumph against KF Tirana in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup preliminary round. Dinamo's coach in that game, Otto Barić, later managed the Albanian national team.

Form guide
• Skënderbeu's position is not hopeless; Dinamo have lost two of their last six UEFA qualifying home matches (W2 D2 L2), both those defeats coming by two-goal margins.

• Skënderbeu's 2-0 success at Milsami Orhei in the last round was their first European away win in eight outings (W1 D2 L5).

• Dinamo last contested the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2012/13, yet lost their most recent UEFA Champions League play-off, to Austria Wien in 2013/14.

• Skënderbeu are in their first play-off and are sure to make Albanian history, since they will become the first Albanian club to appear in a major UEFA competition group stage regardless of the outcome against Dinamo.

• Dinamo are unbeaten in five UEFA Champions League qualifiers this term (W2 D3).

• Skënderbeu's 2-0 victory at Milsami Orhei in the third qualifying round was their first win in eight UEFA competition away fixtures (W1 D2 L5).

• Albania and Croatia have never met at senior international level.

• In 13 previous encounters between the countries' clubs in Europe, the Croatian representative have recorded seven victories to the Albanians' four with two games drawn.

• No Albanian side have won in Croatia in six attempts (D1 L5).

Links and trivia
• Skënderbeu's Croatian defender Marko Radaš came through the Dinamo academy but never made a professional appearance for the club.

• Skënderbeu captain – and first-leg goalscorer Blendi Shkëmbi – played in Croatia from 2001–04, for Rijeka and Kamen Ingrad; he faced Dinamo six times with the record W0 D2 L4.

• Several other Skënderbeu players have Croatian league know-how: Sabien Lilaj (Lokomotiva Zagreb 2011–12), Arbër Abilaliaj (Inter Zaprešić 2010–12) and Bulgarian forward Ventsislav Hristov (Rijeka 2014–15).

• Lilaj played alongside Dinamo's Domagoj Antolić and Josip Pivarić at Lokomotiva.

• Dinamo boast Albanian talent in the form of 18-year-old midfielder Endri Çekiçi, an Albanian Under-21 international. His father, Ylli Çekiçi, is a former Skënderbeu player.

• Dinamo midfielder Arijan Ademi was born in Croatia and plays international football for FYR Macedonia but is an Albanian speaker.