Dinamo Zagreb kicked off their Europa League campaign in style, securing a 3-1 victory against Fenerbahçe at Maksimir Stadium. The hosts were led to victory by goals from Dion Drena Beljo in the 21st and 51st minutes and Monsef Bakrar in stoppage time, while Sebastian Szymanski scored the lone goal for the Turkish side.
Dinamo started aggressively, pressing high from the first whistle. Already in the 17th minute, they threatened the Fenerbahçe goal. Valinčić won the ball in the attacking third and set up Zajc, whose shot from the edge of the box sailed just over the crossbar, missing a golden opportunity to take the lead.
The pressure paid off in the 22nd minute. Lisica raced down the right flank and delivered a sharp, low cross to the near post. Amid a scramble, Dion Drena Beljo reacted quickest, slotting the ball past Ederson for 1-0 and sending the stands into a frenzy.
The lead was short-lived, as Fenerbahçe equalized just three minutes later. From a right-sided corner, the ball found Szymanski, who struck with precision from the edge of the box to beat Nevistić, making it 1-1. The Turkish side capitalized on their best period of play in the first half to quickly get back into the game.
The remainder of the first half saw few clear chances but plenty of fouls, resulting in three yellow cards for players and one for Fenerbahçe coach Tedesco in the final six minutes.
Only five minutes into the second half, Dinamo regained the lead. Valinčić played a pass from the edge of the box to Hoxha, who delivered a low cross to Beljo. The striker shrugged off defenders, attacked the six-yard box, and calmly finished for 2-1.
The next thirty minutes were relatively quiet, with neither side creating significant chances. Dinamo dominated possession and controlled the match tempo. In the 85th minute, Aydin got behind Bakrar on the left side, but failed to capitalize on the chance to equalize.
Bakrar made amends in stoppage time. In the 95th minute, he produced a brilliant strike from an angle on the right, sending the ball to the far post and sealing a 3-1 victory. With this result, Dinamo tops the Europa League standings after the first day of competition.
