A demanding schedule, enormous energy expenditure, a tough test in Pula just under three days after the trip to Norway... Under such circumstances, Dinamo played their league match away against Istra 1961, who took the lead twice, but the Blues came back both times and ultimately earned a point. In the 5th round of the SuperSport HNL, Istra 1961 and Dinamo played out a 2-2 draw.

Besides the four goals scored and several chances on both sides, we will remember this match for four other sequences: Luka Stojković played for the first time wearing the number 10 jersey, Kirill Kravtsov played his first match for Dinamo, Smail Prevljak scored his first goal for the Maksimir club, and goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić made a brilliant save in the 78th minute to prevent the hosts' third goal and opened the path for his team to earn a draw.

Dinamo threatened in the 11th minute when Sergi Dominguez sent a vertical ball down the right flank. Stojković controlled it expertly with his right foot and in the next move played a return pass to the edge of the box where Arbër Hoxha ran onto it and fired just over the goal.

Three minutes later, the hosts took the lead. Dukan Ahmeti sent the ball to the right where Hamza Jaganjac received it, started his run, reached almost to the goal line and then, with excellent control, cut back about ten meters, created space for a shot and placed it with his left foot into the far corner to give the hosts the lead.

The Blues got back into the game in the 24th minute when Dominguez launched a long diagonal to the left wing. Hoxha received it and started dribbling, weighing up the opposing defender before cutting into the penalty area. The ball was awkwardly touched by Daouda Doumbia as he fell, after which Dion Drena Beljo calmly headed it home right in front of goal for the equalizer.

The balance didn't last long as the hosts regained their lead in the 29th minute through a lightning-quick move that found a path to goal. It was three quick vertical passes - the move was started by Gustavo Albarracin, continued by Emil Frederiksen, and then Ahmeti received the ball, escaped his marker, broke clear on goal and found the net.

Late in the first half, Stojković used some juggling skills to shake off his marker in front of the penalty area and create space for a shot, but his effort from 18 meters went just wide of the post.

Dinamo's debutant, Russian midfielder Kravtsov, created a promising situation shortly after the start of the second half. He played an effective low ball to the left into the penalty area where Matteo Perez Vinlöf made his run, but at the crucial moment, with his first touch, he went too wide and the hosts managed to close down the space.

Dinamo goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić was one of the heroes of this match. In the 78th minute, he prevented what seemed like a certain goal that would have given the hosts a two-goal cushion in the closing stages. Mislav Oršić played a pass across the field to Josip Mišić who hesitated for a moment, not seeing that Antonio Maurić was charging forward. Istra's midfielder intercepted the ball and ran clear towards Nevistić. Although he had teammate Frederiksen completely unmarked in front of an empty goal on his right, Maurić decided to go for goal himself in the one-on-one situation, but the Maksimir goalkeeper made a spectacular save to deny him.

The very next attack saw danger at the other end. Oršić played Prevljak through on the counter-attack. He received the ball under pressure from a defender, managed to get his shot away, but goalkeeper Franko Kolić managed to get in the way at the last moment.

And it was indeed Prevljak who scored his first goal in a Dinamo shirt in the 84th minute to secure a point for the Blues. Moris Valinčić crossed from the right, Beljo headed it down at the far post to the edge of the penalty area. There, Prevljak also headed the ball into the bottom far corner.

In the 90th minute, Perez Vinlöf crossed from the left, Beljo controlled with his foot in the penalty area and laid it back to the left where Oršić was charging in, but at the crucial moment he couldn't get a clean connection on the ball.

Pula, 29 August 2024

SuperSport HNL, Round 5

Istra 1961 – Dinamo 2-2

Aldo Drosina Stadium

Istra 1961: Kolić – Hrvatin, Nasraoui (90+2. Taraba), Miettinen, Šepić – Doumbia, Albarracin (76. Maurić); Frederiksen (90+2. Šaranić), Ahmeti (76. Kumar), Rozić (70. Škafar-Žužić) – Jaganjac

Coach: Javier Cabello

Dinamo: Nevistić – Valinčić, Dominguez (46. McKenna), Radeljić, Perez Vinlöf – Mišić; Lisica (62. Topić), Stojković (62. Kravtsov), Kačavenda (73. Prevljak), Hoxha (62. Oršić) – Beljo

Coach: Mario Kovačević

Referee: Patrik Pavlešić (Duga Resa)

Scorers: 1-0 Jaganjac (14.), 1-1 Beljo (24.), 2-1 Ahmeti (29.), 2-2 Prevljak (84.)