Juventus had previously visited the Zagreb club twice as guests, meeting in a total of three friendly matches, but this was the first time the Old Lady came to Zagreb for a competitive away match against the Blues. It was in the group stage of the then Central European, or Mitropa Cup. After meeting in Turin where Juve won 4-1, the Blues returned the favour in Zagreb a week later with a 2-1 victory. Dinamo eventually, under coach Milan Antolković, won the group with eight points, the same as Spartak Hradec Kralove from Czechoslovakia. Juventus finished third with seven points, while Ferencvaros was last with one point.

The Zagreb side was then stopped by Bologna in the semi-finals. Clubs in the Mitropa Cup at that time also had the opportunity to engage one-time reinforcements, meaning players who would play as guests. Thus, in Turin, the then stars Ivica Osim from Sarajevo's Željezničar, and Pave Garov and Zagreb native Zlatko Papec from Hajduk played for Dinamo. In the Zagreb match, instead of the mentioned trio, Osijek native Nikola Rudić, then a player for Novi Sad, and then Rijeka member Marijan Brnčić appeared, who later moved to Trešnjevka and then to Dinamo, with whom he won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1967. It was precisely Rudić who scored for the 1-0 lead practically at the opening of the match, soon after Gino Stacchini equalised, before Ivica Cvitković secured victory for the Blues with the final 2-1 score in the 19th minute.