Dinamo dismantled Lithuanian champions 3-0 at Maksimir in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, with Mateo Lisica stealing the show by scoring his first goal of 2026 after a serious illness.
Dinamo's footballers have taken a major step towards the Champions League playoff round. In the first leg of the third qualifying round, they convincingly defeated Lithuanian champions Kauno Žalgiris 3-0 at Maksimir. The home side dominated from the first minute, and the visitors' resistance was broken with a lightning-fast surge just before halftime.
Although Dinamo controlled possession and constantly threatened, the Lithuanian champions' net remained untouched until the 31st minute. That's when Mateo Lisica broke down the right flank and found Luka Stojković, who laid the ball off for Miha Zajc. The Slovenian midfielder unleashed a shot from about 18 meters, and although goalkeeper Tomas Švedkauskas got a hand to it, the ball ricocheted off the post and into the net.
Just two minutes later, it was 2-0. Scott McKenna reacted quickest in the box and headed home to confirm total dominance. The team led from the bench by Željko Sopić went into the break with a two-goal deficit and no signs of threatening the Croatian champions.
The best moment of the match came in the second half. According to Telegram.hr, in the 51st minute Josip Mišić found Lisica with a brilliant pass as he ran into space. None of the visiting defenders tracked his run, and the home striker turned and fired from the edge of the box to make it 3-0. Tportal.hr reports the goal came in the 53rd minute, but regardless of the exact minute, it was a fantastic strike.
This goal carries special weight for Lisica. It is his first goal of 2026. In December 2025, he contracted mononucleosis, which kept him sidelined for months. His last goal in a Dinamo shirt came on November 19, 2025, in the Cup round of 16 against Karlovac, a 7-0 win. In European competitions, he hadn't scored since October 2, 2025, when he found the net in a 3-1 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
With this convincing win, Dinamo is in a superb position ahead of the return leg, which takes place a week later in Lithuania, kicking off at 7 PM. If the Croatian champions clear this hurdle, they will need to overcome just one more playoff round to secure a spot in Europe's elite club competition. Judging by their performance at Maksimir, fans have every reason to be optimistic.
