Only They Can Challenge the Mighty Dinamo: Varaždin Shines
Varaždin secured their third win at the start of the season, with young midfielder Ivan Canjuga emerging as the key player of the team that is the only one capable of threatening Dinamo.
Varaždin secured their third win at the start of the season, with young midfielder Ivan Canjuga emerging as the key player of the team that is the only one capable of threatening Dinamo.
Varaždin is in excellent form at the start of the new HNL season. After defeating Hajduk 2:1 in the first round and thrashing Slaven Belupo 4:1 in Koprivnica in the second, the Varaždin side beat Rijeka 2:0 in front of their own fans in the third round. This confirmed their status as the main challengers to the mighty Dinamo, and they will have the chance to prove it as early as the next round at Maksimir.
The biggest difference between last year's Varaždin and this lively one is the play of Ivan Canjuga (20), a young midfielder whom coach Nikola Šafarić has given the most responsibility. During his two years at Lokomotiva, Canjuga mostly played on the wing, but he is an exceptionally talented midfielder with very few weaknesses. His precise passes improve the play of his teammates, and he covers the entire pitch at great speed, showing excellent understanding of the game.
Experienced coach Samir Toplak noted that Varaždin players "dance" on the pitch and that it is a pleasure to watch them when they launch attacks, which they open quickly, vertically, and with great precision. On the wings, Iuri Tavares (25) and Luka Mamić (24) are putting in the effort, while Ivan Mamut (29) is playing the best football of his career up front, and Aleksa Latković (25) looks even more impressive than last season when he was Varaždin's key player.
If he continues at this pace, Canjuga will bring Varaždin a plethora of goals and assists, and thus points, and as early as winter, he will be a target for much richer clubs than Varaždin. Dinamo could be the first to sign him, and after Jagušić slipped away from them, they cannot afford to let Canjuga escape. It won't just be Dinamo who wants him, but also Hajduk, Rijeka, and Osijek, but only Dinamo will likely be able to pay the compensation, which will certainly reach several million euros.
Rijeka was significantly below the level expected of that team in Finland, and three days later, Matjaž Kek's players predictably couldn't match the energetic and fast Varaždin side. It's clear that Rijeka is failing to adequately replace Toni Fruk (25). Because of this, Kek can only hope that Fruk stays at Rujevica, no matter how hard club president Mišković tries to find him a new home.
We'll see what impact new signings Yusuf Kabadayi (22) and Iranian Hossein Panbehkar (27), who hasn't signed yet, will have on the wings. Without Fruk and the penetration on the wings, Rijeka is not at Varaždin's level, as Šafarić's players clearly showed on the pitch.
Meanwhile, GNK Dinamo is preparing for an important match against Viking in the Champions League, which will be played on Tuesday, August 18, at 9 PM at Maksimir. As announced on the club's official Twitter profile, the North Lower, West Lower, and West Upper stands are already sold out, while the North Upper stand is the last one still on sale. Ticket prices are 12 euros for club members and 17 euros for other fans.
In addition to the fight for a place in the Champions League group stage, part of the revenue from the match will be earmarked to help victims of the fires in the hardest-hit parts of Croatia. Photos from the preparations were published by the club's official photographer, Luka Stanzl.
