It was a night to remember in Zagreb as Dinamo overturned a 2-1 first leg loss to Czech champions Viktoria Plzen with a stunning 3-0 victory at Maksimir. Dinamo only needed a 1-0 win at home to progress – as they scored an away goal in Czech Republic last week – but that didn’t stop them from piling on the goals; starting with a beautiful set up from Bruno Petković in the 15th minute.
On a counter attack, Petković brought the ball up the left flank nearly 60 yards into the Plzen penalty area, where he made his defender miss and hit the ground before back-heeling the ball towards the penalty marker. Without hesitation, Daniel Olmo cooly ‘dummied’ the ball to fake out the Plzen defense to set up Mislav Oršić with an open shot on goal. And he didn’t miss.
It was all Dinamo after the opener as Emir Dilaver would head home Dinamo’s second goal in the 33rd minute off a long free kick before Petković hammered the final nail in the coffin with 18 minutes left in the match following yet another long counter attack.
Dinamo Zagreb were paired with Portuguese club Benfica in their Europa League Round of 16 draw. The first leg will take place March 7th in Zagreb with the return leg March 14th in Portugal. Dinamo avoided some of the big boys which include Chelsea, Arsenal, Sevilla, Napoli and Inter Milan; but let it be known, Benfica will not be easy.
Chance Dinamo Zagreb make the Europa League quarterfinals: 20%.
Kreso how old are you?
Hey guys! From NY here…I’m a big fan!!! Hell yea Croatia!!
Speaking of young players… Where is that David Čolina kid?
Left Back who was rated among the best in Europe for 18 year olds, and now he’s riding the bench on Monaco’s U19 team.
Smart career move, lol
Pongračić is another big and underrated Center back.
Starts every game for Red Bull Salzburg. Born in Germany, but plays for our U21s.
We have talent in volume. Only a small portion of them will become big time players, so it’s nice to see that we have a lot of them in high numbers.
Real Modrić
Perišić/Brozovic vs Rebić
Inter vs Frankfurt is going to be on fire.
Everyone is on form.
Rebić looks like he is in Split banging in goals from every angle.
Perišić is world class when interested in burying Icardi.
Brozovic is establishing himself as an elite CMF in his own right.
Modric to renew contract at real…happy he will retire with the. They needed him in that girona game
If Stanišić sticks to Germany, it’s fine. We have some very talented center backs that are young: Benković, Čaleta-Car, and Jedvaj. We also have some talented wing backs such as Čolina and Vusković. Our youth defensively looks good right now.
Stanisic’s are Big Hrvati. i hope the kid makes the right choice!
Bayern does this alot. They did it with Fabian Benko, and now with Stanišić.
But it’s too early to tell if this guy will even become anything.
Benko was pressured, he flip flopped a bit, and now he’s just playing for Linz in the Austrian league on a free transfer (with neither National Team really pursuing him anymore).
Stanišić isn’t playing for Bayern’s senior squad (just their U19 squad). There are three other Croats on that U19 team.
If we pressured and called up every Croat who plays for a big club’s youth squad, we would have thousands of players on the National Team.
It’s likely that Stanišić wants to further develop under the Bayern system, but he might endanger that if outright says that wants to represent Croatia instead of Germany. The HNS should just keep a line of communication open with Stanišić, letting him know that they are interested in him and that they don’t want to endanger his career (so they won’t try to call him up to any Cro youth teams). Let him play for the German youth teams, but come to the understanding with Stanišić that (when he further develops and becomes a senior level player) a spot on the senior team will be open for him.
Gotta play these games sometimes if the club teams begin to meddle with a player’s national team choice.
(hence the reason why I don’t think Dinamo should ever pressure a guy like Olmo to switch).
would rather Stanisic stick up to himself and tell Bayern to eff off
Ya if he chooses to want to play for us great
But this ain’t a few years back
We are swarming with young hungry talented kids who want that World Cup glory
When I look a guy like brekalo I see the hunger talent and passion and I know we will be just fine gojng forward
A maybe naive question
Spain was so good over the past few tourneys when so many played together in Spain
Surely the talent was all there
But I’m pretty sure if our boys played on a couple teams we could be just as dominant as they were
I suppose u could say that bout other of countries
Still I wish more and more that the boys would push to play together like an NBA clique;)
Might be impossible now that he’s been capped by the Spain U21 team.
I guess it depends on whether he received Croatian citizenship before or after he played his first game for Spain’s U21 team.
I wouldn’t pressure him.
If he wants to, then fine, but he’s not a born or raised Croat (nor a diaspora one). I’d only allow him to play for us if we are his first choice.
Cap Olmo asap. Dude is good. I believe he has his paperwork in order.
Chelsea just received a two-transfer window ban.
What does this mean for Eden Hazard and Mateo Kovačić?
I assume it means they can’t sell Hazard for a year, and can’t complete any option to buy for Kovačić, no?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gMKqyC4xz68
Still can’t believe this happened
Dinamo plays Benfica
March 7 home.
March 14 away
Luka/contract
https://www.marca.com/en/football/real-madrid/2019/02/22/5c6f2819468aeb2c278b4641.html
me btw^
Dinamo drew Benfica. Good match up if you ask me. Benfica will be tough, but they are beatable.
Perišić > Icardi
Icardi actually needs service from Perišić.
Perišić is a world class winger.
This is the tension between winger and striker.
Kramaric and Perišić have had the same beef on the pitch as well.
Throw in Wanda Icardi trying to play you out in the media and then you have it all going on.
Perišić has responded!
I guess Splićanin can speak more to what makes him tick?
But you get my man wound up and his mojo gets going.
He is going to go on tear the rest for the season.
Italian media on purpose is going to big him up.
I agree with Razbijač, this Dinamo team has gotten this far for a reason. Obviously they have faced weaker European competition, but having a solid core of young home grown players, a good coach and besides the Serb, a very good transfer strategy has brought the best out of Dinamo finally. I can’t wait to see the European dream live on.
Btw I was the one who said at the beginning of the season that Dinamo not qualifying for the Champions League was a blessing in disguise.
Is it just me or is Ivan Perisic playing his best football with Icardi outta the picture!!?? WHAT. A. GOAL.
This Dinamo, I think is better than previous teams. It’s got the right blend of youth talent and veterans. Plus it’s got a competent coach.
@ Dannyj
Let’s hope our youth sticka ’round longer. I hate to see them sold for a sacka potatoes…
I think guys like Halilovic, Coric, Rog, Balic, prolly woulda benefited from staying longer and maturing.
Very happy for Dinamo !!! Bring on the big boys….Arsenal or Chelsea. It just adds to these young players experience. It will build character win or lose.
How did Petkovic look?
Let’s hope he becomes good.
Just hope he doesn’t go back to Italy next season.
@Maminjo agreed. The Dinamo midfield is so strong right now. I can’t wait for Marin (18) to start playing with the first team more and more….he very well may be our next superstar along with Palaversa and Šego
This Dinamo team is no more talented than the last season or the season before. This is Nenad Bjelica.
He’s just a good coach. I’m sure if we had him (and not Kruno Jurcic or some random Bugar on the bench) we wouldn’t have been humiliated in the previous tournaments.
Do we agree that despite champions league money
Dinamo belong in Europa league now?
They get more action and of course they haven’t beat any huge clubs but Better for their overall development to play this way at least in my opinion
So maybe they get matched up with a big boy club now and lose but like U14 just said least they get exposure
Dinamo playing bigger teams= our young guys becoming more noticed…guys such as Moro, Livaković, Majer, and Sunjić
Beauty goal from perisic and rebic with another class one as well
Remember when ziva had his running bet we wouldn’t fire outside the box week after week
Seems more goals come outside the box these days then anything
Awesoem stuff from dinamo
Just think if some of the younger guys would stay longer in cro before being sold for a bag of soccer balls and oranges hajduk style
We could definitely have more success in Europe
Now this is getting exciting…Dinamo will likely get a big club in the next round. Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Sevilla, Napoli. I’m not sure if this will be seeded or if it’s an open draw.
Rebic and Frankfurt could come to Zagreb. Or they can draw a much weaker side in Slavia Prague, RB Salzburg, Krasnodar.
http://bleacherreport.com/post/inter-milan/0ef53398-8d33-4875-afde-16a927769213
Hvala Wanda Icardi !!
Perišić is starting to percolate.
Would love to see them face inter in the next round!
Let’s goo!! Huge game for Dinamo…can’t wait for the Round of 16
It’s on BR Live, but you either need a subscription, or pay the $2.99 to watch.
ESPN “The Ocho”
What channel will it be on in the states ?
Dinamo really needs their big guys to step it up…I’m hoping to see a good performance by Moro (whether he starts or comes on as a sub), Oršić, Olmo, and Gavranović.