MAGIC WARNS DINAMO AHEAD OF VIKING CLASH: 'REMEMBER TROMSØ 15 YEARS AGO?'

GNK Dinamo will host Norwegian side Viking at Maksimir on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 9 PM in the first leg of the Champions League play-off. The return match is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 2026, also at 9 PM, at the Viking Stadion in Stavanger. The winner of the two-legged tie will secure a spot in the group stage of the elite competition, with Dinamo having reached this stage by overcoming Swiss side Thun and Lithuanian side Kaunas.

Ahead of the crucial clash, Rajko Magić, a long-time coach and lecturer at the Croatian Football Federation's Football Academy, as well as a former assistant to Branko Ivanković at Dinamo, has warned about the Norwegian school of football and reminded of a similar encounter from over 15 years ago.

'It will be similar to the Tromsø match'

Magić told Dnevno.hr that he remembers Dinamo's encounter with Norwegian side Tromsø in northern Norway. "I remember, it's been over fifteen years now, Dinamo played in the north of Norway, against Tromsø. Yes, we lost there, but we won the second leg more convincingly and advanced. It was a typical clash between Norwegian and our football, and not much has changed in the understanding of this game since. It will be similar now," he said.

He also pointed out that Norwegian football does not change easily, but rather only refines the existing model of play. "Norwegian football is hard to change; it only refines and strengthens the model of play we had the opportunity to see at the recent World Cup. Clubs play the same way. And you can feel their progress on the international stage, even though they haven't changed their style of play," Magić stated.

Physical fitness key for Dinamo

Magić particularly warned about the physical component, highlighting the difference in the rhythm of the season between the two teams. "Dinamo's technical superiority can only come to the fore if Dinamo, in the clash against Viking, is at the same physical level as the opponent. That could be a complicating factor, because in Norway it's now the heart of the season, while for Dinamo it has just begun, you understand?" he explained.

He also described the specifics of the Norwegian style of play: "Defenders simply don't allow you to receive the ball; they go for prevention, not reaction. They handle the ball very quickly; speed is their forte, and they don't give up on pace and sprinting even if it doesn't bring results. They always aim for runs in behind rather than outplaying you."

He concluded that such a team must be countered with imagination and technical innovations: "They have long throw-ins, frequent crosses, and especially lurk for loose balls. They are like wasps, overwhelming you with agility from all sides. Against such a team, you truly must counter with imagination, as we like to say, with little tricks. Those technical innovations that throw the defense off track. We have that; we just need to physically match those strongmen."

Tickets and BBB's 40th birthday

Dinamo has released ticket details for both matches via its official Twitter profile. For the Maksimir evening on August 18, only tickets for the North Stand upper tier remain, priced at 12 euros for members and 17 euros for other fans. For the return leg in Stavanger on August 26, tickets for the away sector F at the Viking Stadion are sold at 249 Norwegian kroner (approximately 22 euros), with the mandatory code "zagreb260826".

Additionally, the fan group Bad Blue Boys celebrates 40 years of existence, and former Dinamo player Zvone Boban has sent his congratulations. "To you, without whom nothing is the same, for 40 years it hasn't been the same! To you, who have never stopped loving and living in blue, not for a second of life, not for a second of any match. To you, because of whom we have the Dinamo we've dreamed of for years. In tradition, in rebellion, always your own, forever Dinamo's! Happy Birthday Purgeri! Happy Birthday BBB group! Dinamo Zagreb above all, Dinamo Zagreb above everyone!" Boban said.