After a shocking halftime deficit and a red card for the visitors, the Blues broke the Swiss in extra time with a 17-meter strike for a final 3:2
Dinamo's footballers provided a drama at Maksimir in the return leg against Swiss side Thun. Trailing 0:2 at half-time, the Blues turned the game around in the second half and secured advancement to the next round thanks to a stunning goal by Valinčić in the 113th minute for a final 3:2. According to Totalinfo.hr, the hero of the evening was Valinčić, who unleashed an unstoppable shot from 17 meters to seal the win.
The match on July 28, 2026, started disastrously for the home side. In the 4th minute, Mišić lost the ball in midfield, the visitors quickly launched an attack, and Zoukit delivered a low cross from the left side of the box. The ball ran parallel to the goal line, and Labeau tapped it in from close range for Thun's lead. In the 9th minute, Dinamo threatened through Zajc, whose shot from 10 meters went over the bar after a nice build-up by Beljo and Vidović, but the real cold shower came in the 22nd minute. Fehr took a free kick from the right, the ball sailed all the way to the left post, and captain Burki scored with a header from an incredibly tight angle over Filipović to make it 0:2. Dinamo had possession but failed to seriously trouble goalkeeper Steffen, and the fans greeted the players with whistles at half-time.
Coach Mario Kovačević reacted immediately at the start of the second half by bringing on Perez-Vinlof for Gode, while for the visitors Gutbub replaced Dursun. In the 58th minute, a triple substitution followed: Kačavenda, Topić, and Hoxha came on for Oršić, Vidović, and Lisica. The turning point came in the 66th minute when the VAR room called the Bulgarian referee to review footage of a foul by Burki. It was determined that he was the last defender, and the Thun captain was shown a straight red card. Dinamo had a man advantage for the remaining 20 minutes of regular time.
With an extra man, the Blues went on the offensive and reduced the deficit in the 75th minute. Valinčić crossed from the right, and Beljo headed home for 1:2. Just four minutes later, Dinamo equalized: Topić sent in a corner, and Kačavenda fired home from close range to make it 2:2. In the 84th minute, Topić almost completed the comeback, but his long-range shot hit the post. Until the end of regular time, Dinamo pinned the visitors in their penalty area but couldn't score a third, and the match went to extra time.
In extra time, the pace dropped, which suited the weakened Swiss as they waited for counter-attacking opportunities. Heule had a dangerous chance for Thun, but his shot went just wide. Zajc struck brilliantly in the second extra period, but Steffen made a superb save to tip the ball over the bar. In the 113th minute, the drama reached its climax: Valinčić received the ball on his own half, surged towards Thun's goal, and then unleashed a powerful shot from 17 meters that flew unstoppably into the net for 3:2. In the closing stages, Radeljić came on to bolster the defense, Beljo missed an open goal from distance, but Dinamo held on to their lead and advanced.
After the match, Dinamo's official Twitter account posted emotional messages. At 11:44 PM, a quote was published: "...so that you forever remember who Dinamo is and where the city of Zagreb is!" with a blue heart, and in the early hours of July 29, 2026, the traditional night photo arrived with the message: "Well, you didn't think we'd forget the traditional night photo, did you? 🤭", credited to photographer Luka Stanzl. Before the match, the club had already asked fans: "Did you miss Dinamo...? 💙"
