Sevilla won in rainy and poorly attended Maksimir Stadium
Sevilla was rewarded for a display of attacking football with a well-deserved 1-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb on October 18. 2016. It was a rainy night in Zagreb, and the attendance was poor, just over 6 thousand people came to see one more defeat of the home team.
The match was decided by a smooth finish by Samir Nasri, who netted from close range in the 37th minute – just 15 minutes after he missed the target in a similar situation.
Sevilla was in control of the match, having the ball in their possession almost three-quarters of the play. Dinamo’s goalkeeper Livaković saved few great chances by away players, and some of them squandered opportunities so that the home team can be happy with the final score.
It was interesting to see what new coach Ivaylo Petev could do with this Dinamo Zagreb team. Despite a shortage of quality, especially for the top level of the UEFA Champions League, they managed to stay in the game until the final whistle.
The progress in discipline was evident, the home side reacting much better than against Lyon and Juventus, but it wasn’t enough for a draw. Petev will nevertheless be pleased with the response from his players, which bodes well for the future.
The next fixture for Dinamo in Champions League will be the away match versus the same opponent.
