Dinamo Must Show No Mercy to This Zagreb Native
Željko Sopić, coach of Kauno Žalgiris and former Dinamo player, announces a tactical battle at Maksimir, while the history of the Cibona-Žalgiris rivalry adds extra spice to the atmosphere.
Željko Sopić, coach of Kauno Žalgiris and former Dinamo player, announces a tactical battle at Maksimir, while the history of the Cibona-Žalgiris rivalry adds extra spice to the atmosphere.
Dinamo's footballers play their first match of the third qualifying round of the Champions League tonight at 8 PM at Maksimir against Lithuanian champions Kauno Žalgiris. The encounter carries extra weight as the visitors are led by Croatian coach Željko Sopić, who knows the Zagreb club's situation inside out and does not hide his great motivation to surprise the favorite.
The Blues routinely defeated Slaven Belupo 2-0 in the first round of the HNL, and coach Mario Kovačević is aware that his team faces a more demanding test than the one in the domestic league.
"Kauno Žalgiris is not here without reason; they are a serious team. They have our coach who knows us very well. I repeat, we need to improve from game to game. Victory is the goal, the game lasts 90 minutes, but we are aware that another 90 minutes await us away at their place," Kovačević told 24sata.
Since Sopić took charge at the end of June, Kauno Žalgiris has experienced a revival in results. In seven matches under his leadership, they remain unbeaten, with four wins and three draws. This is a huge change compared to the run of eight league games without a win under the previous coach. Sopić also achieved a historic result with Kaunas by securing their place in the league phase of a European competition.
Petar Bosančić, a former Hajduk defender who plays for city rivals Žalgiris Vilnius, analyzed Sopić's impact for Sportklub. "From what I've seen, he hasn't changed much in terms of play, but after the results crisis under the previous coach, he is a breath of fresh air. His energy, approach, and certainly tactical changes, along with a few reinforcements, have made the difference," Bosančić said.
The Lithuanians won the title last season with an eight-point lead over Hegelmann and 13 more than third-placed Žalgiris. After 21 rounds of the new season, they again top the table with the same number of points as Žalgiris Vilnius, but with a game in hand and a better goal difference. Their league match last weekend was postponed because Žalgiris played on Thursday, giving Kaunas a full seven days to prepare for the clash with Dinamo.
Sopić brings to Maksimir a team that includes two Croatian players: former Dinamo player Ivan Fiolić and former Hajduk player Leon Kreković. There is also experienced Lithuanian midfielder Vykintas Slivka, who has worn the Juventus jersey in his career.
"It's a special day for me and some other guys, especially Fiolić. All clubs wanted Kauno Žalgiris, but I only wanted Dinamo. I'm not stupid; I know they are better than us, a spaceship, so to speak. We've gotten past all the teams so far that played a style that doesn't suit us. My coaching staff and I have been with the players for a month; we know what it means when Dinamo plays at Maksimir carried by the stands," Sopić told 24sata.
Bosančić warns that the Lithuanians could employ a low-block tactic, which caused Dinamo problems against Swiss side Thun in the second qualifying round. "Before Sopić, they often struggled against a low block, but against Dinamo, they might just play that way and try to surprise on the counter," Bosančić added, recalling his own experience when his Žalgiris lost 3-0 to Kaunas.
Set pieces pose a particular threat, with defender Tolordava standing out. The team's most expensive player, Amine Benchaib, valued at 800,000 euros, has scored ten goals and provided three assists, while midfielders Fabien Ourega and Leo Ribeiro have each netted seven goals.
The match also has a historical dimension. Exactly 40 years ago, on April 3, 1986, Cibona defeated Žalgiris 94-82 in the final of the European Champions Cup in Budapest to win their second consecutive European title. In the Sportcsarnok hall, in front of 12,500 spectators, of whom about eight thousand cheered for the Zagreb side, Dražen Petrović led Cibona to victory with 22 points, supported by Danko Cvjetičanin (24 points), Sven Ušić (23), and Zoran Čutura (16).
The key moment came in the 31st minute with the score at 68-61, when Arvydas Sabonis hit Mihovil Nakić and was ejected for a disqualifying technical foul. Without their best player, Žalgiris could no longer match Cibona.
"Playing against Sabonis was two games for Dražen. One to win, and the other to see who was the best in Europe. That was important to him," recalled then-Cibona coach Željko Pavličević for 24sata.
Dinamo is the clear favorite on paper. According to Transfermarkt, the Blues are valued at 65.6 million euros, while Kauno Žalgiris is worth 9.35 million. Bosančić believes Kauno has a chance to surprise. "It's clear that Dinamo is the favorite, and they will do a huge job if they get a positive result in the first match at Maksimir. But we see in every qualifying round in Europe that there are no easy opponents and that anyone can surprise. Sopić will surely find a way to surprise Dinamo tactically and try to achieve a good outcome," he concluded for Sportklub.
The return leg will be played at the modern Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, which was renovated from 2018 to 2022 with an investment of 43 million euros and holds 15,000 spectators. You can watch the first match from Maksimir on MaxSport 1 starting at 8 PM.
