December 11, 2019 - Dinamo Zagreb and Manchester City met for the final Group C game of the Champions League on Wednesday at Maksimir Stadium.
The Zagreb club had the chance to achieve another incredible result in the final game of the Champions League group stage, though their opponent was no piece of cake - Manchester City.
Dinamo came out with a lineup boasting Livaković, Stojanović, Ademi (C), Dilaver, Moubandje, Gojak, Moro, Olmo, Kadzior, Oršić, and Petković. Manchester City, on the other hand, came out with Bravo, Cancelo, Garcia, Otamendi (C), Mendy, Rodri, Gündogan, Foden, Silva, Mahrez, and Jesus. One thing was certain - Dinamo needed a win against City to secure a spot in the Round of 16.
Dinamo and City kicked off at 6:55 on Wednesday to a sold-out Maksimir Stadium - and the atmosphere was buzzing despite the cold. The Zagreb club was aggressive at the start while City held back and waited for a counterattack.
However, it was Dinamo to shock Zagreb when Olmo scored for 1:0 in the 10th minute! The goal certainly woke City up, and they continued to press aggressively for the next 20 minutes. Dinamo’s defense remained stable, that is until the 34th minute when Gabriel Jesus scored the equalizer. The game was now 1:1.
Moments before the half, Gojak's nasty elbow to Rodrigo's cheek should have been a red card, though the ref failed to consult VAR - and Dinamo was lucky.
All in all, Dinamo played bravely throughout the half and managed to hold their own. The game ended 1:1 at the half.
The second half, unfortunately, didn't get off to the best start for the Zagreb side. Already in the 50th minute, Jesus scored for 1:2 City - and four minutes after that, Jesus secured a hat trick for 1:3.
City made their first change in the 66th minute - Zinchenko came in for Gabriel Jesus, the hero of the night.
City maintained 71% possession of the game, and it wasn't long for them to score again. Foden made it 1:4 in the 83rd minute.
With this loss against City and Atalanta's win against Shakhtar, Dinamo has been eliminated from the Champions League and will not compete in the Europa League this spring.
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