In the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, Dinamo imposed their rhythm from the first minute against Kauno Žalgiris, but the Lithuanian defense has so far successfully resisted the Blues' attacks.
ZAGREB - At Maksimir, GNK Dinamo began their quest for the Champions League group stage. In the first leg of the third qualifying round, the Blues took control of the pitch from the first minute against the Lithuanian champions, FK Kauno Žalgiris. Despite clear territorial dominance and several promising chances, the visitors' net has remained untouched so far. The match can be followed on MAXSport 1.
Dinamo's coach, Kovačević, sent out the expected lineup: Filipović in goal, with a defensive line of Valinčić, Dominguez, McKenna, and Perez Vinlof, while the midfield consisted of Stojković, Mišić, and Zajc. The attacking trio was led by Lisica, Beljo, and Hoxha. On the other side, Kauno Žalgiris's coach, Željko Sopić, opted for a formation with Oliveira at the top of the attack, supported by Benchaib, Slivka, and Ourega in midfield. Sopić was cryptic in his pre-match comments, asking: "Do you want me to say that in front of all of them now?", while Kovačević was clear: "Victory is the first goal."
Dinamo threatened as early as the 3rd minute. Perez Vinlof delivered a precise cross from the left, and Stojković's header went just wide of the goal. Just two minutes later, Hoxha broke down the left and cut the ball back for Zajc at the near post. His backheel effort ended in the side netting, a clear warning sign for the Lithuanian defense.
The Lithuanians struggled to play the ball out of their own half. As reported by Index.hr, in the 9th minute, the visitors failed to get the ball past the halfway line, resulting in constant pressure from the Blues. Lisica crossed from the right in the 11th minute, but the ball was too high for everyone in the box. Hoxha managed to get a header on it, but it went high over the crossbar.
The first major excitement at Maksimir came in the 13th minute. Lisica cut in from the right wing and played a brilliant through ball for Stojković, whose shot was saved by goalkeeper Švedkauskas. It was Dinamo's most concrete attempt in the opening half-hour of play.
Kauno Žalgiris mounted their first significant attack in the 17th minute. Kreković held off Lisica and played a long ball to Oliveira, who laid it off for Benchaib. His cross from the right found Ourega on the opposite side, but his center was cleared by Mišić. In the 21st minute, another prolonged Dinamo attack ended with a blocked shot from Stojković, with the ball rolling through to goalkeeper Švedkauskas.
Justice on the pitch is being served by a Belgian refereeing team led by head referee Erik Lambrechts. His assistants are fellow countrymen Jo de Weirdt and Kevin Monteny, with Lothar D'hondt as the fourth official. In the VAR room are Clay Ruperti and Bert Put.
The atmosphere at Maksimir is, as expected, fantastic. The club had already called on fans this morning, on August 4, 2026, via their official Twitter profile with the post: "You'll be at Maksimir at 8 PM, right?", and the evening before, they shared photos of Luka Stanzl from the final training session with the message: "If you can't sleep either..."
The return leg will be played in a week's time in Lithuania, kicking off at 7 PM. This is the penultimate hurdle for Dinamo before entering the most elite club football competition.
