Dinamo's Youth Team Crushes Benfica 4-1, Chasing Third Consecutive Ramljak Title
The young 'Blues' came from behind to secure a convincing win and a spot in the final at the main Maksimir pitch. Free entry for all fans.
The young 'Blues' came from behind to secure a convincing win and a spot in the final at the main Maksimir pitch. Free entry for all fans.
GNK Dinamo's youth team has advanced to the final of the 23rd Mladen Ramljak Memorial Tournament. In the decisive Group A match, they defeated Portugal's Benfica with a convincing 4-1 scoreline, securing first place in the group. In Sunday's title clash, they will face Ajax from the Netherlands, the Group B winners.
Although the match didn't start ideally for the hosts, the reaction from coach Milan Badelj's side was swift. Benfica took the lead in the 21st minute, but just five minutes later, Jona Benković leveled the score. Roko Ban completed the turnaround in the 27th minute, scoring his fourth goal of the tournament to put Dinamo ahead.
In the second half, Dinamo patiently protected their lead, and then punished their opponents further in the final minutes. Benković scored his second goal of the match in the 74th minute to make it 3-1, effectively putting the game to bed. Niko Zeljković set the final score in the dying moments of the contest.
The path to the final wasn't easy. Dinamo opened the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Juventus, but followed that with two wins. They were also aided by Benfica's 5-0 thrashing of Juventus in the second round, which allowed the 'Blues' to leapfrog the Italian side in the final round with six points. The only scenario that could have eliminated them was Juventus beating Club Brugge by at least ten goals.
The final between Dinamo and Ajax is scheduled for Sunday at 6:30 PM. Unlike the previous matches in the tournament, which were played on the auxiliary pitches, the decisive clash will take place on the main turf of the Maksimir Stadium. Entry is free for all fans, and the match will be streamed on the Dinamo Plus platform.
Dinamo's youth team is defending the title they've won for the past two years. They won the tournament in 2024 with a 3-2 victory over Manchester United, and last year they beat Bologna 1-0, with Karlo Zulfić scoring the only goal. This year's edition is particularly strong, the eight participants collectively boast eight European champion titles.
Ajax, one of the most renowned clubs for youth development, is participating in the tournament for the first time and has immediately reached the final. They topped Group B with seven points. Second-placed Hajduk, with five points, will play for third place against the better of the Benfica-Juventus clash.
The team from Maksimir is led this season by Milan Badelj, the club's former captain and Croatian international, who took over the youth squad this summer. In previous years, Ivica Banović and Jerko Leko guided them to titles. Alongside the sporting success, the club also confirmed a new signing on Friday, the arrival of Noah Nsoki from Paris Saint-Germain.
