Dominant Dinamo held to a draw

Stadium Maksimir, Zagreb, 14.9.2012.

MAXtv Prva liga, 8. round

GNK Dinamo - NK Osijek 0:0

Referees: Vlado Svilokos (Sisak), Borut Križarić (Čakovec), Saša Fegeš (Nedelišće), Alen Gerek (Zabok)

Spectators: 930

Dinamo: Kelava - Vida, Tonel, Šimunić, Ibanez - Calello, Alispahić (46. Brozović) - Carrasco (80. Peko), Sammir, Rukavina (66. Krstanović) - Čop

Osijek: Vargić - Ibriks, Vrgoč, Smoje, Aleksić - Novaković, Lešković, Kvržić, Zulim (75. Glavaš), Petrović (65. Mišić) - Miličević (61. Dugandžić)

Yellow cards: Calello (51.), Tonel (90.), Šimunić (90.) / Lešković (27.)

Dinamo totally dominated in the MAXtv Prva liga 8. round match against Osijek but numerous chances weren't enough to win all three points.

After two weeks break and national team games, Dinamo came back to Maksimir. The game against Osijek was re-scheduled for Friday due to UEFA Champions league match against Porto on Tuesday. Coach Ante Čačić had a bad feeling before the match against Osijek because of 14 days without a game and he was wright; Dinamo played very good, dominated the game but Modri couldn't convert possession into goals.

Dinamo started the game very offensively with only Adrian Calello as defensive midfielder and five offensive players. If we add Domagoj Vida and Luis Ibanez on full backs who basically played as wingers - Dinamo played as offensive as it gets. One of them, right attacking midfielder, was Bryan Carrasco who had his debut for Dinamo while other new signing, Marcelo Brozović, entered the game at halftime.

As soon as the match began, Dinamo started to create chances. First of many came after only 3 minutes when Šimunić launched a header from a set piece situation but just like many times that night - it went beside the post. Modri created chance after chance, Čop and Rukavina were creators of several of them but there was no goal. Rukavina had one of the best chances in extra time of the first half after Carrasco made a cross but Vargić was unbeatable.

In the second half, with Brozović on the pitch, everything stayed the same: Dinamo controlled the game, the ball circled around 30 metres from Vargić but Osijek managed to hold on. Ibanez had his nice try after 55 minutes from a set piece situation go little over the post. Coach tried with couple of more changes so Krstanović and Peko entered the game and it was these two that created the last chance of the game.

It was in the 86th minute when Peko made a run and cross to the far post when Krstanović escaped his marker and headed the ball - to the post.

With this draw Dinamo came to 20 points from 8 league matches and now turn their focus on Tuesday and Porto. Modri played a good game against Osijek but luck wasn't on their side; hopefully, Tuesday will be payback time.