Bad Blue Boys and Lithuanian supporters joined forces in Kaunas to send a powerful message of support for Ukraine, while Dinamo, down to ten men, celebrated a 2:1 win and a 7:1 aggregate victory to secure a Champions League playoff spot.
Dinamo's footballers secured their place in the Champions League playoff after defeating Kauno Žalgiris 2:1 in the second leg of the third qualifying round in Kaunas. However, the evening in Lithuania was marked by scenes in the stands, where the Bad Blue Boys and the home fans united in a joint chant of "Glory to Ukraine."
The Blues had dismantled the Lithuanian champions 5:0 in the first leg at Maksimir, making the return in Kaunas a mere formality. Despite that, Mario Kovačević's side took the game seriously and took the lead in the 19th minute when Kačavenda scored his third European goal of this qualifying campaign, assisted by Belja.
Just 11 minutes later, captain Josip Mišić made it 2:0, extending the aggregate lead to a massive 7:0. However, the match took a complicated turn in the 32nd minute when goalkeeper Filipović recklessly rushed out of his box, committed a foul, and was shown a straight red card by referee Massa. Coach Kovačević reacted immediately-by the 34th minute, he had replaced Lisica with Ivan Nevistić, who took over in goal.
At the start of the second half, Kovačević brought on Vidović and Goda for Stojković and Vinlöf. In the 56th minute, the hosts pulled one back to make it 1:2, following a shot from Kreković that Nevistić parried, and Gabriel Debeljuh pounced on the rebound to score.
The Lithuanians tried to capitalize on their numerical advantage but never seriously threatened Dinamo's overall lead. In the 90th minute, the Blues were still holding on to their 2:1 lead, and after three minutes of stoppage time, their progression to the final qualifying round was confirmed. They will now face Norwegian side Viking-the first leg is on August 18 in Zagreb, with the return on August 26 in Stavanger.
While the on-field outcome was being decided, the stands delivered a special moment. The Bad Blue Boys led the chant of "Glory to Ukraine," and the home Lithuanian fans immediately joined in. Dinamo's supporters shouted "Glory," while the response "to Ukraine" came from the home section, with the chant echoing several times.
The salute "Glory to Ukraine" has become strongly associated with Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression, especially since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Given the long-standing friendship between the Bad Blue Boys and the fans of Dynamo Kyiv, this message carries particular significance.
The joint chanting fits perfectly with Lithuania's stance on Ukraine. The Baltic state, a NATO member bordering Russia and Belarus, is one of Kyiv's most steadfast political and military allies. According to Lithuanian authorities, the value of institutional aid to Ukraine from 2022 to 2026 has exceeded €1.85 billion.
Lithuania has also taken in many war refugees; as of March 5 this year, there were 53,379 Ukrainian war refugees in the country-more than ten thousand more than the previous year. Just five days before the match, Reuters reported on Lithuanian authorities' warning that Russia could use captured Ukrainian drones to provoke incidents in the Baltics, aiming to undermine NATO unity and reduce support for Ukraine.
