August 10, 2021 - Dinamo beats Legia Warsaw in the Champions League 3rd qualifying round to advance to the playoffs! 

Dinamo played Legia Warsaw in the hunt for the Champions League playoffs on Tuesday. The two teams met in Warsaw for the return match of the Champions League 3rd qualifying round. The result of the first game was 1:1 at Maksimir. As a reminder, as of this season, the away goal rule no longer applies.

Bartol Franjić scored the decisive goal in the 20th minute for the Dinamo lead and ultimate win. 

Dinamo was more determined on the pitch from the first minute of the match in Warsaw. Ivanušec and Majer found each other 30 meters from the goal in the 20th minute. Ivanušec put on a brilliant move and played Franjić with a great through ball, who ran into the home team's penalty area and then defeated the Legia defense to score for 1:0. 

To enter the Champions League group stage, the Croatian champion will fight against the Moldovan club Sheriff from Tiraspol. Sheriff knocked out the Red Star as a rival in the last qualifying round for the Champions League. After 1:1 in the first game in Belgrade, the return match in Tiraspol on Tuesday was 1:0 for Sheriff.

The first match between Dinamo and Sheriff will be played on August 17 or 18 in Tiraspol, and the return match will be on August 24 or 25 in Zagreb.

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August 5, 2021 - Dinamo and Legia Warsaw played 1:1 at Maksimir to open the Champions League 3rd qualifying round on Wednesday. 

In the first match of the Champions League 3rd qualifying round, Dinamo played 1:1 against Legia Warsaw in front of 4,597 spectators at Maksimir Stadium.

Dinamo took the lead in the 60th minute with a goal by Bruno Petković, and Ernes Muci equalized in the 82nd minute.

"With a patient game, we took the lead, too bad we didn’t turn it into something more. We had several situations for 2:0, however, Legia sent one shot and equalized," said coach Damir Krznar.

He added that it is psychologically nice to play away with a victory, but also added.

"With 1:0 or 1:1, we would go to Warsaw with the same imperative of victory, so we will position ourselves in the return match."

He pointed out that Legia stood in the block in the first half, but with the changes at the half, Dinamo moved their lines forward.

"That helped us in the transition and pressure."

The good news is that an away goal is no longer an advantage that will help Dinamo in the return match. 

"The fact that there are no more away goals now allows everyone to play more attacking, that is a gain for football," he said.

Regardless of the outcome against Legia, Dinamo has already secured a European competition this autumn. It is only a question of which competition it will be - UEFA Europe Conference League, Europa League, or Champions League.

Namely, if Dinamo wins against Legia, they would have another obstacle on their way to the Champions League, a playoff against Belgrade's Red Star or Moldovan club Sheriff. A win in the playoffs brings the Champions League, and a defeat the Europa League.

If Dinamo loses to Legia, they would play in the Europa League playoffs. Winning that round means a spot in the Europa League, and a defeat in the Europa League playoffs, in turn, guarantees a spot in the Conference League group stage. 

Source: HRT

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August 4, 2021 - Ugly scenes broke out in Zagreb last night as Dinamo fan group Bad Blue Boys and Legia Warsaw fans clashed in the capital ahead of the Champions League qualifier tonight at Maksimir. 

A fight broke out in Zagreb's Dubrava area late Tuesday night. About 200 football fans clashed, and according to the first information, they beat each other with batons, threw stones, and lit flares, reports Index.hr. 

A fight broke out on Dankovečka Street at around 9:30 pm, in which about 200 fans took part. 

Police officers were present from the beginning and prevented a possible major conflict, and according to the information gathered so far, no one was seriously injured.

The circumstances of the incident and police action are being determined.

According to media reports and witness statements, the fans had batons and took chairs from the cafe terraces. A small group clashed in one of the nearby parking lots, and flares and stones were thrown at each other. 

Zagreb a day before the Dinamo - Legia match. pic.twitter.com/LEnf5aPqx0

— ??????? (@d4mije) August 3, 2021

Citing sources from the fan milieu, the media write that it is allegedly a planned provocation of the Polish club who came to Zagreb by bus, partly from the Adriatic coast where they were on vacation, partly from abroad, to cause riots before tonight's Champions League qualifier between Dinamo and Legia. 

The fighting quickly became news in the Serbian media, added Index.hr. Recall, tonight's match between these two clubs is the first of two that will take one of the teams to the Champions League playoffs, in which they could face Belgrade's Red Star. 

Bad Blue Boys (Dinamo Zagreb) looking for Legia Warsaw fans.pic.twitter.com/cmMBN58Yb1

— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) August 3, 2021

The Telegraph states that there is a "state of war" in Zagreb and that a fight between fans "literally set the whole neighborhood on fire," and Kurir, under the headline "Gori Zagreb," states that "several hundred hooligans broke up one neighborhood." 

B92.net also wrote about the riots, stating that it is stormy in Zagreb, and went on to describe the clash of fans in which batons and flares were used.

Police said no one was seriously injured, though witness accounts from the evening seem to disagree. The police made arrests last night. 

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