Champions style; Čop's hat-trick in a marvelous display

MAXtv Prva liga, 20. round, Maksimir, 17.2.2013.

GNK Dinamo - HNK Rijeka 4:1 (3:0)

Referees: Zlatko Šimčić (Koprivnica), Borut Križarić (Čakovec), Goran Pataki (čakovo), Tihomir Pejin (Donji Miholjac)

Spectators: 3.500

Dinamo: Kelava - Vrsaljko, Jedvaj, Šimunić, Ibanez - Leko - Brozović, Ademi (od 85. Rukavina), Sammir (od 74. Halilović), Čop  - Krstanović (od 63. Beqiraj)

Rijeka: Mance - Datković, Kreilach, Knežević - Mujanović, Brezovec, Močinić (od 56. Mierzejewski), Škarabot (od 56. Čaval) - Alispahić - Benko, Cesarec (od 80. Čulina)

Yellow cards: Datković (43.)

Goals: 1:0 Krstanović (7.), 2:0 Čop (22.), 3:0 Čop (25.), 4:0 Čop (50.) / 4:1 Benko (62.)

In front of 3.500 spectators Dinamo played a great match against Rijeka and thanks to two goals from Duje Čop and one from Ivan Krstanović  took only 25 minutes to solve the game. In the second half Duje Čop rounded up his first career hat-trick while Leon Benko scored the consolation goal to make it final 4:1.

This is what happens when you "upset the beast"; that's the right way to describe what happened to Rijeka in the first 25 minutes of the derby game in Maksimir. For the last few days Rijeka players and officials were talking about coming to Zagreb, beating Dinamo and making things complicated at the league table but when the first whistle was blown - there was only one team on the pitch.

Coach Krunoslav Jurčić made several changes to the team that played in Osijek and all of them proved to be the right ones. Instead of Beqiraj it was Krstanović who started the game as striker, Tomečak was ill so Brozović played as right winger which pushed Ademi closer to goal and placed Leko as defensive midfielder. Krstanović scored the first goal, Brozović and Leko played a great game while Ademi was one of the best players on the pitch and once proved himself as a national team material.

Dinamo couldn't wish for a better start when Krstanović and Brozović played a one-two and tall striker placed a left-footed strike in the net; it was the 7th minute of the match. Sammir and Čop were stopped in the 20th minute but two minutes later it was the Brazilian born midfielder who made a brilliant run from the centre to the box before passing to Čop on the left side who scored his first goal of the game. Three minutes later - 3:0.

This time Čop and Ademi returned possession after a loss ball, back pass came to Čop who nicely scored his second goal to round up the brilliant start of the match; 25 minutes of the game passed and it was 3:0 for Dinamo. Modri had several nice chances to make it four in the first half but what youngster Jedvaj missed Čop didn't at the start of the second 45 minutes.

After only 5 minutes of play in the second half Sammir made a cross from the corner, Leko chipped the ball to the far post where Čop had an easy job of heading the ball to the net for his first career hat-trick. Even though Dinamo had some excellent chances it was Rijeka who scored the last goal when Leon Benko was left alone after a set pieces situation and he managed to score.

Dinamo tried their best to get the fifth goal, Čop tried from the free kick, Jedvaj once again with his head and Brozović and Beqiraj with long shots but Mance made some nice saves; 4:1 was quite enough.

With this victory Dinamo played filled up with self confidence ahead of the derby match against Hajduk which is due next Sunday, 24.2., in Split.