GNK Dinamo vs AC Milan facts

AC Milan will look to extend their perfect record against GNK Dinamo as they travel to Zagreb on Matchday 8 of the UEFA Champions League.

The Rossoneri booked their place in the knockout phase with a 1-0 home win against Girona on Matchday 7, their fifth successive league phase victory giving them 15 points.

Dinamo, 3-0 losers at Arsenal last time out, have eight points and are three games without a win (D1 L2).

Previous meetings

Matches 6
GNK Dinamo wins 0
Milan wins 6
Draws 0
GNK Dinamo goals 3
Milan goals 17

1973/74 European Cup Winners' Cup first round
Milan 3-1 GNK Dinamo
GNK Dinamo 0-1 Milan
The Rossoneri were 4-1 aggregate winners, Alberto Bigon scoring twice and Luciano Chiarugi once in Milan; Chiarugi got the only goal of the second leg at Zagreb's Stadion Maksimir.

2000/01 Champions League third qualifying round
Milan 3-1 GNK Dinamo
GNK Dinamo 0-3 Milan
Andriy Shevchenko scored twice in each leg, the Ukrainian's four goals helping earn a 6-1 aggregate win.

2022/23 Champions League group stage
Milan 3-1 GNK Dinamo
GNK Dinamo 0-4 Milan
Oliver Giroud and Alexis Saelemaekers struck either side of half-time on Matchday 2 and, though Mislav Oršić pulled one back, Tommaso Pobega came off the bench to wrap up Milan's win. Matteo Gabbia struck in Zagreb on Matchday 5 with second-half goals from Rafael Leão, Giroud and a Robert Ljubičić own goal maintaining Milan's perfect record against Dinamo.

Form guide

GNK Dinamo

Record vs Italian clubs: W4 D4 L15 F16 A41
Home records vs Italian clubs: W4 D2 L5

This is Dinamo's first game against an Italian team since their 2022 meetings with Milan.

Dinamo's previous games against an Italian side came in the 2019/20 group stage, when an Oršić hat-trick helped them to a 4-0 home win against debutants Atalanta before a 2-0 reverse at Milan's San Siro.

The Zagreb club have lost six of their last seven games against Italian clubs; their four victories against Serie A sides have all come in Zagreb.

Dinamo have reached the Champions League proper for a ninth time and a first since 2022/23, when they finished fourth on four points in a section that also included Chelsea, Milan and Salzburg.

Dinamo lost 3-4 on aggregate to AEK Athens in last season's Champions League third qualifying round and were then beaten 4-5 over two legs by Sparta Praha in the Europa League qualifying play-off. That took them into the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they eventually reached the last 16 before losing to PAOK (2-0 h, 1-5 a).

The Zagreb club kicked off this season in the Champions League play-offs, easing past Qarabağ (3-0 h, 2-0 a).

The Croatian club have won five of their last ten home European matches (D3 L2), drawing against Monaco (2-2) and Celtic (0-0) either side of a 0-3 loss to Borussia Dortmund in this season's league phase.

Dinamo claimed a record 25th Croatian league title in 2023/24, their seventh successive triumph, to make it 35 league titles overall. They also lifted the Croatian Cup to win a 13th domestic double, and a first in three seasons.

On 29 December Fabio Cannavaro having replaced Nenad Bjelica – who had himself succeeded Sergej Jakirović on 26 September – as Dinamo coach.

AC Milan

Record vs Croatian clubs: W7 D0 L1 F20 L7
Away record vs Croatian clubs: W3 D0 L1

Their six games with Dinamo aside, Milan's only other fixtures against a Croatian club came in the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League group stage, Patrick Cutrone's 94th-minute strike earning a 3-2 home win against Rijeka before a 2-0 defeat in Croatia.

Milan are making their fourth successive appearance in the Champions League and a 21st overall.

The Rossoneri were Champions League winners in 1994, 2003 and 2007 and runners-up in 1993, 1995 and 2005.

The seven-time European champions reached the knockout rounds for the first time since 2013/14 in 2022/23 but last season finished third in Group F behind Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, going on to the Europa League quarter-finals where they lost an all-Italian tie against Roma.

Milan have won only 14 of their last 38 Champions League games (D9 L15). This season's victories at Real Madrid (3-1) and Slovan Bratislava (3-2) have made it six wins in 20 away matches (D6 L8).

Milan were second in Serie A in 2023/24, the third time in four seasons they had finished in the top two.

Stefano Pioli was replaced in the summer after five years as Milan coach, Paulo Fonseca appointed as his successor before himself making way for Sérgio Conceição last month.

Links and trivia

Cannavaro played for Milan's local rivals Inter between 2002 and 2004 and also represented Napoli (1988–95), Parma (1995–2002) and Juventus (2004–06, 2009/10), winning the 1998/99 UEFA Cup and two Coppa Italias with Parma.

Have played in Italy:
Bruno Petković (Catania 2012–16, Varese 2014 loan, Reggiana 2015 loan, Virtus Entella 2015 loan, Trapani 2016/17, Bologna 2017–19, Verona 2018 loan)
Stefan Ristovski (Parma 2010–15, Crotone 2011/12 loan, Frosinone 2012 loan, Bari 2012/13 loan, Latina 2013/14 loan, 2015 loan)
Marko Rog (Napoli 2016–19, Cagliari 2019–24)
Marko Pjaca (Juventus 2016–23, Fiorentina 2018/19 loan, Genoa 2020/21 loan, Torino 2021/22 loan, Empoli 2022/23)
Josip Mišić (Spezia 2015/16 loan)

Have played together:
Stefan Ristovski, Josip Mišić & Rafael Leão (Sporting CP 2017/18)

International team-mates:
Josip Drmić & Noah Okafor (Switzerland)

Latest news

GNK Dinamo

Matchday 7 was Dinamo's first competitive game of 2025.

On Saturday Dinamo returned to domestic action with a 3-1 home win against Istra 1961, top scorer Sandro Kulenović ending a run of nine games without a goal with the opener and Luka Stojković sealing the win with his first official Dinamo goal.

The Croatian champions have played three friendlies this month, drawing 2-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk on 9 January before a 3-1 defeat of Lech Poznań three days later – Stojković and Arbër Hoxha scoring in each game. Arijan Ademi's equaliser earned a 1-1 draw against another Polish side, Jagiellonia Białystok, on 15 January.

Dinamo ended a run of seven games without a win in all competitions (D4 L3) with a 3-2 home victory against Varaždin on 22 December.

A 3-1 loss at Lokomotiva Zagreb in their previous fixture on 14 December was Dinamo's fifth in the league this season – one more than their total from the whole of 2023/24.

Bruno Petković has not played since 9 November due to an adductor injury.

Petar Sučić has been out since 15 November with a metatarsal injury.

On 14 January Dinamo announced Marko Rog's loan spell from Cagliari had been extended until the end of the season.

Striker Wilfried Kanga joined Dinamo from Hertha Berlin on 18 January.

Milan

On Sunday Milan twice came from behind to beat Parma 3-2 at San Siro, Tijjani Reijnders and Samuel Chukwueze scoring in added time to secure a dramatic victory.

Reijnders now has six league goals this season – a career best.

Christian Pulišić scored Milan's first from the penalty spot, the first time he had found the net in Serie A since 6 October although he scored twice in both the Champions League and Italian Super Cup between those league strikes.

Sérgio Conceição suffered his first defeat as Milan coach on 18 January, his side going down 2-0 at Juventus.

A 1-1 draw at home to Roma on 29 December was Paulo Fonseca's last in charge, fellow Portuguese coach Conceição named as his replacement on 30 December.

On 6 January, Milan lifted the Italian Super Cup by beating city rivals Inter, coming from 2-0 down thanks to goals by Theo Hernández, Pulišić and Tammy Abraham.

Three days earlier the Rossoneri had defeated Juventus 2-1 in the semi-final, also coming from behind with Pulišić again on target.

Hernández also scored in a 2-1 win at Como on 14 January, his 30th Milan goal taking him past Paolo Maldini as the top-scoring defender in club history.

Chukwueze came on on Sunday having been sidelined since suffering a thigh injury against Roma.

Emerson Royal was replaced early on against Girona having suffered a thigh problem and missed the weekend win.

Malick Thiaw has not played since suffering a thigh injury against Como.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been out since Matchday 6 with a thigh injury and Noah Okafor has not played since suffering a calf injury in a 0-0 draw against Genoa on 15 December, although he was on the bench on Sunday.

Alessandro Florenzi has not played this season due to a knee injury.

On Friday Manchester City defender Kyle Walker joined Milan on loan for the rest of the season.