Dinamo Zagreb thrash Atalanta in Champions League opener

Big win for Dinamo Zagreb (Photo: Dražen Patarčić/HNS)

ZAGREB, 18 September 2019 – Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb have opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a big 4-0 victory over Italian club Atalanta in the Croatian capital on Wednesday night. 

Croatian International Mislav Orsic was the hero of the night, scoring a hat-trick as Dinamo ran riot. 

There was a fantastic atmosphere at Zagreb’s Maksimir stadium for the Group C opener and it would be the home side with the first chance of the match when Arijan Ademi and Petar Stojanovic combined well but Bruno Perkovic just failed to make contact with a cross. 

The 30,000 fans did not have to wait long to celebrate as the home side took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. Dani Olmo’s shot on goal would fall to Stojanovic who fired into the box and it was left-back Marin Leovac who would latch onto it and find the back of the net. 

Dinamo kept the intensity up in the first spell and looked the more dangerous of the two sides and it was no surprise they would double the lead. It would be Orsic who would make it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when he would finish off a great Dinamo move. 

Olmo would beat two Italian players before sending Leovac free down the left. He would then play it into the box for the on-coming Orsic to slot home. Orsic then made it 3-0 just before the break when he headed home from two yards out.  

Orsic would complete his hat-trick in the 68th minute as Dinamo sealed an impressive win. 

Dinamo will face English champions Manchester City next in Manchester on 1 October. 

(Photo: HNS)

Dinamo Zagreb’s Group C matches:

1.10 – Manchester City – Dinamo (21:00)
22.10 – Šahtar – Dinamo (18:55)
6.11 – Dinamo – Šahtar (21:00)
26.11 – Atalanta – Dinamo (21:00)
11.12 – Dinamo – Manchester City (18:55)

This is the 7th time that Dinamo Zagreb have played in the group stages of the Champions League. In their six previous performances, they have failed to advance out the group stages, winning four matches, drawing five and losing 36.