They had won the Champions League with a legendary comeback against Bayern in the final in Barcelona, shaking up the match in injury time and turning the Germans' 1-0 lead into their own 2-1 victory. Their first subsequent Champions League appearance awaited them three and a half months later when Dinamo came to visit. The Maksimir club was still called Croatia at the time, and right at the opening of the elite European competition's group stage, they had to face the Champions League winners. On that September 14, 1999, the Blues earned a point at Old Trafford at the start of the group stage with a 0-0 draw. The home side was naturally led by the charismatic Alex Ferguson, while the equally famous Osvaldo Ardiles directed from the blue bench.

Croatia controlled the game, was confident in bringing out the ball, and their composure was impressive, even the British media wrote. Many will firmly assert that this was Manchester's best generation, although the competition is fierce. At the start of the competition in the group, the then Croatia team, weakened by the absence of their best player and team leader Robert Prosinečki, extracted a huge point. Prosinečki was sidelined due to an adductor injury. Although he completed the final training session at Old Trafford the evening before the match, he still couldn't play.

The home side showed their strength on the pitch on several occasions, but the Zagreb players played bravely, and coach Ardiles prepared excellent tactics that neutralized the English team. Dinamo controlled the game in midfield for most of the match. However, after an hour of relatively calm play, there followed a tense ten minutes in which the hosts pressed the Maksimir defense. But goalkeeper Dražen Ladić, one of the match heroes, masterfully stopped Andy Cole's attack in a one-on-one situation and saved a shot from about ten meters. Eight minutes before the end, Dwight Yorke somewhat clumsily touched the ball, which bounced off the crossbar in a strange trajectory. After the Blues' chance in injury time, when Mario Cvitanović seemed to shoot a bit too early towards goal, there followed a big opportunity for the hosts, but Ladić stopped Teddy Sheringham's shot from close range with a miraculous reflex.

Dinamo is not a club that will cultivate a 'cult of defeat' or get excited about a draw, but such a result at the opening of the elite world club competition, against the then current European champions at the moment of their absolute power and glory, moreover on away soil, certainly deserves great attention.