Intense emotion, full commitment and the hunt for the title from the first minute. In such an atmosphere, Dinamo's footballers will try to ignite a double celebration on Sunday: a potential victory would secure the championship title, and this entire 'event' will take place on a special date - on the 115th anniversary of the club. Dinamo will therefore host Varaždin on Sunday at 18:45 in the 32nd round of the SuperSport HNL, and a victory would mathematically secure their 26th championship title in independent Croatia, and 36th overall. The Blues currently have a 13-point advantage over their closest followers, Hajduk, who will play away in Rijeka earlier the same day.

– We've worked all season to win the championship title, our desire is to do it as soon as possible, now we have the opportunity and we believe we'll take it. We know it's not an easy job, Varaždin is good. This is our first match point. I can see that the players can hardly wait for the match to start – highlighted Dinamo's coach Mario Kovačević.

What's the squad situation?

– Miha Zajc will be out due to the injury he sustained in the last match in Pula, but Gabriel Vidović and Ismaël Bennacer are returning... We'll see how much we'll use them. All the others are ready, which makes me happy. The atmosphere is excellent, we have good results, the game as well... We want to be like that on Sunday too.

Varaždin are also on a positive run. Moreover, they're currently third in the table and fighting for a place in Europe.

– All credit to Varaždin, we're already in the 31st round and they've separated themselves in third place points-wise. They have something to fight for, they're a good team, excellent in counter-attacks and half-counter-attacks, they know how to come out into the opponent's half and be dangerous, we must be careful. They're individually quality players, and they're good as a team too, that's why they have such good results. We congratulate them on that. We, of course, believe in our team, from the first minute we'll want to impose ourselves and look for goals.

Dinamo's last league defeat was back in November when Istra 1961 won in Pula 2:1. The Blues have since connected 18 championship matches with 15 wins and three draws. In that same period, Dinamo also added three victories in cup matches, which in 'translation' means that in 21 consecutive matches in domestic competitions they achieved 18 wins and three draws.

– Did I believe in such a run after that defeat in Pula? Well, I really believed, I knew it was difficult, but I was also sure that we would enter a continuity of good matches. The championship is won by a team that has continuity of good results. There were matches where we were losing, where it wasn't good, but I knew that with Dinamo such a successful run had to come: That's why we are where we are. The boys work well and hard and that's why we're already in a situation to win the championship title.

And they could win that title on a special date, exactly on the club's 115th anniversary.

– That makes us especially happy, our club has a great history of 115 years and it would be especially nice for us to confirm the title on that very day.

What's your first memory of Dinamo, which earliest generation do you remember?

– The first one I remember was the generation that won the championship title in 1982 and, of course, coach Miroslav Ćiro Blažević. Those are my first memories. And after that they always played beautiful football, Dinamo is a distinguished club, that's how it was always talked about. And that's how it is – added coach Kovačević.