In an exciting match Dinamo drew with Manchester, final against Bologna on Sunday

Once again, the juniors of Dinamo and Manchester United offered a football spectacle, once again, for the third year in a row, they showcased an attractive football match filled with numerous goals and suspenseful results. In the end, the footballers from Zagreb celebrated as they secured a spot in the final! Dinamo and Manchester United played to a 2-2 draw in Saturday's match of the last, 3rd round of Group A of the international junior tournament Mladen Ramljak, and that point was enough for the Blues to advance to the final where they will face the Italian team Bologna. The team coached by Jerko Leko entered the second half with a two-goal lead, the English team managed to equalize in the continuation, but they couldn't secure a victory that would guarantee them a fight for the first place. The Blues will battle against Bologna in Sunday's final to defend their title as last season's winners. The final match is scheduled for Sunday at 11:30 am.

This was the third encounter between Dinamo and Manchester in three consecutive Ramljak tournaments, with a total of 18 goals scored. So, on average, six goals per game. Two years ago, the English team won 5-4 in the final group stage match, Dinamo responded last year by winning the final 3-2, and this year's draw once again meant celebration for the people of Zagreb as they secured a spot in the final.

The opponent of the blues in the final battle for the trophy will be, therefore, Bologna, who defeated Shakhtar 1-0 in the last round and took the top spot with six points.

Interestingly, this Saturday saw the same players from last year's match between Dinamo and Manchester: seven in the Zagreb team and five in the English team.

Dinamo took the lead in the 13th minute, Tomas Baković initiated a counterattack, played the ball into the penalty area to the right for Karlo Zulfić who ran in from six meters at an angle and launched it into the net.

The guests were close to equalizing five minutes later, Samuel Lusale surged down the right side, approached the goal line, played a pass back, and Joseph Gabriel completely alone from ten meters in a clear situation sent the ball wide of the goal.

The Englishmen were looking for a penalty kick at the end of the first half when Lusale fell in Dinamo's penalty area. Immediately after that, there was a counterattack by the blues, Zulfić slipped a short pass to the right into the penalty area, Mislav Ćutuk ran in from the left and skillfully deflected the ball past the goalkeeper with his right foot.

Manchester started the second half with an open defense in pursuit of the equalizer and managed to level the score. First, in the 50th minute, after a corner kick, Amir Ibragimov and Albert Mills  in the crowd in front of Dinamo's goal, they hit the block in promising situations to shake the net five minutes later. Ibragimov ran in from the right into the penalty area, found himself in a tussle with Vuk Vlahović, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. It was Ibragimov who, in the 56th minute, placed the ball on the "white spot" and with a skillful move, known as a "panenka", reduced the lead of the blues.

Just two minutes later, Jim Thwaites took a shot from 18 meters, the ball grazed captain Marko Zebić and settled behind the goal line for the equalizer.

The English managed to shake the net in the 65th minute, Lusale received the ball on the wing, sent a diagonal pass, Eddie Fletcher ran in from the background and placed it into the goal, but the referee flagged for offside.

The newly arrived Maksimir goalkeeper Tai Žnuderl quickly amortized another powerful shot from Fletcher. In the referee's added time, the "purgerski carioca" Belinho also took a long shot, but the English goalkeeper, Cameron Bryne-Hughes, was ready.

In the final seconds of the match, in the fourth minute of added time, Lusale initiated a counterattack, sent the ball forward, Kai Rooney ran into position, the son of the former Manchester United star and English international, Wayne Rooney, and scored. Once again, the referees signaled offside.

The Sunday program of the tournament's final day will start at 8:30 am with play-offs for the final standings, and the final match between Dinamo and Bologna is scheduled for 11:30 am, followed by the final ceremony of announcing the winner and awarding prizes.

Zagreb, August 9, 2025.

Tournament Mladen Ramljak, Group A, Round 3

Dinamo - Manchester United 2:2

Stadium Maksimir, field "Zlatko Cico Kranjčar"

Dinamo: Žnuderl - Mikić, Zebić, Radnić, Škojc (72nd minute Landeka) - Radoš (72nd minute Belinho); Zulfić, Baković, Šutalo (57th minute Brundić), Horvat (41st minute Vlahović) - Ćutuk (62nd minute Perković)

Coach: Jerko Leko

Manchester United: Bryne-Hughes – Overy, Mills (53. McCormack), Armer, Watson (53. Kukonki) – Thwaites; Lusale, Shah (41. Ibragimov), Bailey (68. Rooney), Abdoulaye (53. Fletcher) – Gabriel (78. Brown)

Coach: Darren Fletcher

Referee: Luka Slišković

Scorers: 1:0 Zulfić (13.), 2:0 Ćutuk (40+1.), 2:1 Ibragimov (56. - 11 m), 2:2 Thwaites (58.)

Results, Saturday, 3rd round;

Group A: Dinamo – Manchester United 2:2, Juventus – Rapid Vienna – played at a later time; standings: 1.Dinamo 7 points, 2. Manchester United 7, 3. Rapid Vienna 0 (-1), 4. Juventus 0 (-1);

Group B: Benfica – PSG 0:0, Bologna – Shakhtar 1:0 (1:0 Libra 30.); standings: 1. Bologna 6 points, 2. Benfica 4, 3. PSG 4, 4. Shakhtar 3;

Schedule, Sunday, final: Dinamo – Bologna (11:30); for 3rd place: Manchester United – Benfica (9:30); for 5th place:Rapid/Juventus – PSG (9:45); for 7th place: Rapid/Juventus – Shakhtar (8:30).