Dinamo celebrated with ten men, Blues back on top

Dinamo is once again at the top of the league table, the Blues defeated Gorica away with 2:0 in an interesting and lively duel in the 15th round of the SuperSport HNL. Coach Mario Kovačević's team played the last 15 minutes with ten men, and even with such a personnel deficit, they managed to score a goal to confirm the victory. “Bravo” was unlocked in the 34th minute by Mounsef Bakrar, while the scorer in the referee's added time was Marko Soldo, scoring his first goal in Dinamo's jersey.

They were down to ten men from the 75th minute, after Luka Stojković was sent off. He received his first yellow card for a foul immediately after coming off the bench in the 61st minute, and the second in the 75th minute after kicking the ball during a stoppage in play. The referee indicated that the ball had crossed the touchline during Dinamo's counterattack. Stojković disagreed and in the heat of the moment, kicked the ball. This is his second consecutive red card in matches against Gorica, as he was also sent off prematurely in the previous encounter at Maksimir when Velikogoričani won 2-1.

Dinamo has been pressing the opponent's defense from the very start, circling around the penalty area, looking for corridors towards the goal, and completely controlling the game. The Blues threatened twice in almost the same action in the 5th minute. First, Dion Drena Beljo received the ball with his chest seven meters from the goal, but the home team managed to clear it at the last moment. Later on, Arbër Hoxha took a shot from the left 20 meters away, just wide of the opposite goalpost.

Just in the 32nd minute, Hoxha hinted at the goal that followed a moment later. He led the attack on the left side, moved towards the center and then fiercely struck from 18 meters, but the ball flew above the crossbar. Two minutes later, the celebration of the blue fans ignited. Ismaël Bennacer skillfully played a short pass on the left side into the penalty area for Miha Zajc, he cleverly received it, turned it around in front of the six-yard box where Bakrar appeared and slammed it into the goal.

Soon after, Bannacer elicited applause from the stands with a new maneuver, from his own half he pushed the ball "into the thick of the opponent's defenders" to Hoxhi who had a clear path to the goal, it seemed like he could even lob the home goalkeeper... However, at the last moment, before Hoxha could control the ball, Marijan Čabraja ran up, managed to deflect it, and touched it with his hand as he fell. All of this happened around the center circle of the field.

The home team tried in the 64th minute, captain Jurica Pršir ran onto a cross from the right, stuck his foot out ten meters from the goal, but the goalkeeper of Maksimir, Ivan Filipović, managed to tame it.

Immediately on the other side, Dinamo's captain Josip Mišić threatened, he shot from 17 meters on the right, and the ball flew past the opposite bottom corner.

After Stojković's expulsion, Gorica threatened in the 84th minute when Ante Erceg sent the ball over the goal from seven meters away. On the other side, Bakrar led the attack of the blues in the 87th minute, and just as he was about to strike from ten meters in a promising situation, the home team's right back Stefan Perić slid in with a last-minute tackle to clear the ball.

No, it was just a delay of the goal that appeared in the second minute of the referee's added time. Bruno Goda skillfully on the left side, with a move similar to what Bennacer did for the first goal, undercut the ball to Fran Topić. The young winger from Maksimir rushed towards the penalty area, turned in front of the goal, goalkeeper Davor Matijaš briefly punched it with his hand, but on the "other post" appeared Soldo and headed it into the net.

Velika Gorica, December 1, 2025.

SuperSport HNL, Round 15

Gorica - Dinamo 0:2

City Stadium Velika Gorica

Gorica: Matijaš – Perić, Filipović, Leš (79. Erceg), Čabraja – Bakić (88. Gashi), Kavelj (79. Fiolić); Trontelj, Pršir, Vrzić (60. Pavičić) – Čuić

Coach: Mario Carević

Dinamo: Filipović – Mikić, Dominguez, McKenna, Perez Vinlof (67. Goda) – Mišić; Bakrar, Bennacer (60. Ljubičić), Zajc (60. Stojković), Hoxha (88. Soldo) – Beljo (60. Topić)

Coach: Mario Kovačević

Referee: Mateo Erceg (Pristeg), Attendance: 3,391

Red card: Stojković (Dinamo, 75th - second yellow)

Scorers: 0:1 Bakrar (34.), 0:2 Soldo (90+2.)