A powerful Dinamo start, the crossbar shaking, the Blues taking the lead amid an eruption from the stands, then brilliant saves from goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić during a period of pressure from the visiting attackers, and finally a furious finish from the Zagreb side for a convincing victory. This is the summary of a brilliant, open match in which Dinamo took a significant step towards their ninth appearance in the Champions League group stage. The Blues defeated Qarabağ, the champions of Azerbaijan, 3-0 in the first play-off encounter, and were later also better in the return leg, 2-0, progressing to the league phase of the competition.

Early in the Zagreb match, Samy Mmaee threatened when he intercepted the ball and from the center of the pitch tried to surprise the visiting goalkeeper with a lob shot, but the ball flew just over the crossbar. Dinamo came close to taking the lead in the 17th minute after an effective set-piece routine from a corner. Martin Baturina took the corner kick by playing it short to Josip Mišić, who passed it parallel to the goal line to Bruno Petković. The Maksimir number nine effectively played it back to Baturina who from about ten meters on the left powerfully fired into the crossbar.

Maksimir Stadium erupted in the 29th minute. Petković was carrying the ball in front of the penalty area, played it short to Petar Sučić who freed himself from his marker with a dribble, passed it to the right where Marko Pjaca was positioned, he shot powerfully, the goalkeeper saved... The ball rolled back to Pjaca who in his second attempt slammed it into the net.

In the 75th minute, Maxime Bernauer started an attack down the right touchline, played through Mišić, who passed to Baturina who pulled back the attack and with a guided diagonal through the entire defense, found Sandro Kulenović on the left side, who skillfully controlled with his right foot then struck with his left into the far corner.

Not even five full minutes had passed when the scoreboard showed 3-0. Baturina crossed from the right, Mmaee headed the ball down, Juan Cordoba collected it, the goalkeeper saved, but Kulenović rushed in from the right and fired just under the crossbar.

Dinamo came close to a fourth goal in the final seconds. At the end of stoppage time, Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel found Marko Rog, who found Kulenović who laid it off to Baturina... The blue number ten found himself alone in front of the goalkeeper at seven meters, deceived him with a body feint and struck the post.

The visitors also pressed. At the end of the first half they created three chances. First, Nevistić caught the ball at the last moment after a sharp low cross from the left into the heart of the penalty area. Juninho ran completely alone towards Dinamo's goalkeeper in the 43rd minute, his attempt was something between a shot and a lob, and the ball flew over the goal. In first-half stoppage time, Patrick Andrade was completely alone at seven meters to meet a return ball and headed it wide of the goal.

At the start of the second half, Leandro Andrade fired from about ten meters on the right in full stride, but Nevistić covered the near post and punched it out for a corner. The visitors also threatened in the 57th minute when Yassine Benzia struck from a free kick about twenty meters out on the right and hit the near post, with the ball bouncing out of play. In the next attack, Abdellah Zoubir also shot from the edge of the penalty area, with the ball whistling just over the crossbar. Nevistić prevented an equalizer with a miraculous reaction in the 64th minute when Juninho powerfully struck from about ten meters in a half-turn.