It was Dinamo's first European final. After the thunderous 4-1 victory against Bayern in the heart of Munich in the quarter-final alongside a 0-0 draw in Zagreb, followed by both semi-final victories against Ferencvaros, the Blues faced Valencia in the final showdown. This was the first of Dinamo's two finals in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a competition that later evolved into the UEFA Cup and subsequently the Europa League.

However, a brilliant opponent and injuries to key players lowered the ramp towards the trophy. Valencia won the first match in Zagreb on 12 June with a 2-1 victory. Dinamo took the lead through Slaven Zambata in the 14th minute. The move was initiated by Tomislav Knez with a furious run during which he delivered a low ball in front of goal, and Zambata in full stride hammered it into the net from the edge of the six-yard box. But in the second half, they quickly turned the match around with Waldo in the 64th minute and Jose Antonio Urtiaga in the 67th.

The injured Dražan Jerković was absent from the first final clash, and during the Zagreb match Zambata also got injured. In that competition, player substitutions during the match were not possible, except in case of goalkeeper injury. The visitors won 2-1 in Zagreb, triumphed 2-0 in the return leg and claimed the trophy.