Dinamo squandered a 2-0 lead against Viking at Maksimir, drawing 2-2 in the first leg of the Champions League playoff. Coach Mario Kovačević and legendary Ilija Lončarević analyzed the errors that brought the Norwegians back to life.
In the first leg of the Champions League playoff, Dinamo took an early 2-0 lead in front of 17,342 spectators at Maksimir, but ultimately had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Norwegian side Viking. The match was a true emotional rollercoaster-from the euphoria of goals by Dion Drena Beljo in the 6th minute and Mateo Lisica in the 10th, to the disappointment of conceding to Peter Christiansen in the 26th and Zlatko Tripić in the 39th. Dinamo thus missed a golden opportunity to secure a more favorable position ahead of the return leg in Stavanger, scheduled for Wednesday, August 26.
Dinamo coach Mario Kovačević did not hide his bitterness after the match but emphasized his belief in his team. "We gave them two gifts. It happens; Europe punishes everything, and that's how it is. In the SHNL, you might get away with it, but in Europe, players are more quality and they punish you. I'm sorry, but we showed we can compete with them, and we're going there to fight and advance," Kovačević told Arena Sport.
Kovačević specifically reflected on the fantastic start and the atmosphere in the stadium. "A great start; we capitalized on the electric atmosphere, and after 2-0 we were close to a third goal. There was a hit on the post; otherwise, Stojković scores that. We reacted poorly on those two goals; we practically handed them the ball, unbelievable. In the second half, we dominated; they created nothing, and we had good situations. I think we deserved more," said the Dinamo coach.
He also touched on the substitutions he made in the second half. "We didn't have a winger because Topić is injured; he pulled a muscle. The wingers were exhausted, so we brought in Mudražija, Hoxha, and Prevljak up front. We had a good chance; Prevljak missed, but well... They defended well, there was a bit of bad luck, but I believe we'll have the same chances up there, and if we want to play in the Champions League, we have to convert them."
Asked about the condition of Luka Stojković, who left the pitch due to injury, Kovačević could not give a concrete answer. "We'll see; the doctors are with him. Zajc also had issues, but I hope it's nothing serious. I hope he'll be ready for the return leg."
Legendary Croatian coach Ilija Lončarević analyzed the match for tportal and noted that Dinamo showed two faces. "For me, it was a pretty good match. For a win, Dinamo needed a bit of luck, and for a comfortable win, a bit more skill, confidence, and precision. You can't make mistakes like those without being punished immediately. Dinamo's players made two or three such errors, and two were punished," said Lončarević.
He identified hesitation after conceding as the key issue. "The team stalls because hesitation creeps in. This isn't just Dinamo's problem; it happens to teams generally when they lead 2-0. It's not without reason that 2-0 is called a dangerous scoreline. When the opponent scores to make it 2-1, the team hesitates."
Lončarević emphasized that it wasn't hesitation in aggression but in determination. "It wasn't hesitation in terms of aggression. It was hesitation in terms of the determination to keep doing what they do best. They should have felt that because they had already demonstrated it. When they speed up their game, they can beat anyone. As soon as they slow down, they can't beat anyone. Then they make mistakes, and that's a problem the team and the coach must solve."
Particular attention was paid to the errors that brought Viking back into the match. For the first goal, the focus was on Josip Mišić's pass, and for the second, Moris Valinčić's mistake. Lončarević said Mišić's intention was unclear: "I don't know if Mišić's error was technical, perhaps caused by the pitch, or an error in intention. His intention is unclear to me. He had a player to his right who was half-open, and I don't believe he meant to play it that way. I think it was more a technical error than an intention. But if he intended to play it that way, then I can't understand it."
He sees Valinčić's situation differently: "With Valinčić, the intention to play the ball was clear, but it was misplaced by a meter toward his own goal and fell to their player. If Mišić's intention was to play it where the ball went, then that error is incomprehensible."
Among the positives, Lončarević singled out Luka Stojković and Lukas Kačavenda. "When it doesn't result in goals and a win, it's not noticed as much. But Stojković again had his game and presence. The most important thing is that a player is present on the pitch, constantly seeking the ball and constantly playing. It's the same with Kačavenda when he comes on. That's not in question at all." He added that Stojković is showing traits of a great player. "The worst is when you don't see a player for ten or fifteen minutes and wonder if he's even playing. That doesn't happen with Stojković. He's already showing traits of a great player. He solves situations that real players solve, and that's not in question."
Lončarević urged Dinamo to attack in the return leg in Norway. "I'm sorry because the result should have been a win. But in the return leg, Dinamo's players must enter with great confidence, desire, and will to attack the opponent. They must not defend, because they're not particularly suited or powerful for that. But to attack the opponent-they are. I think they should enter the return leg that way."
The second half was marked by Viking retreating into defense. "The second half was like that because Viking's coaches concluded that, given their physical state, it was best to sit back. They're also physically struggling because they play constantly. It's not just Dinamo's players. From Viking's substitutions, you could see they were protecting players and were probably tired. They changed practically everything they could," said Lončarević. He concluded that Dinamo has the game but must avoid giving gifts. "They simply sat back in defense. In the second half, they had only sporadic five minutes of initiative. When a team like that sits back, it's hard for Dinamo. If Dinamo doesn't speed up their passing and combination play, they struggle to create chances."
In the first half, Dinamo also had big chances that could have secured a calmer finish. Luka Stojković missed a sitter, and Miha Zajc hit the woodwork. Those missed opportunities showed that euphoria can be as dangerous as panic. Additionally, it was Dinamo's 600th goal in European competitions, adding a curious footnote to the match. Despite everything, Kovačević and his team have reasons for optimism ahead of the return leg, but they will need to avoid the mistakes that cost them the win tonight.
