Dinamo suffered their first European defeat of the season on Thursday night, losing 4-2 at Maksimir to NEC Nijmegen in the third round of the Europa League league phase. Dion Drena Beljo scored twice for the home side, but NEC captain Tjaronn Chery struck two of his own, with Clement Bischoff and Bryan Linssen also on target.
Dinamo went in as clear favorites. NEC arrived in Zagreb having gone two months without a win, and the stakes for the home side were high: according to Football Meets Data, a win would have given Dinamo roughly an 80 percent chance of a top-24 finish, while defeat would drop those odds below 50 per cent.
Lineups
Dinamo: Kotarski; Galešić, Domínguez, McKenna, Perez Vinlof; Stojković, Mišić, Ivanušec; Almena, Beljo, Hoxha
NEC: Crettaz; Storm, Schuurs, Fonville; Geiger, Nejašmić, Lebreton, Kaplan; Chery, Linssen, Bischoff
Match report
Dinamo had the better of the opening exchanges. Beljo forced the first save from Gonzalo Crettaz in the 3rd minute with a shot on his weaker right foot. Five minutes later, Schuurs cleared a Galešić cross just ahead of Stojković. Ivanušec went down in the box in the 17th minute, but the referee waved play on.
The home side went closest in the 20th minute. Almena slipped Stojković into space, and he lifted the ball over Crettaz, only for Kaplan to hook it off the line. Two minutes later, NEC produced their best effort to that point, as Lebreton’s long-range strike came back off the crossbar. Beljo was booked in the 24th minute.
Against the run of play, NEC went ahead in the 25th minute. Tobias Storm raced down the right and crossed for Bischoff at the far post, who took a touch, beat Galešić and scored.
Dinamo equalized in the 33rd minute. Stojković sent Perez Vinlof away on the left, and his cross to the far post was met by Beljo, who rose highest between two defenders to head in for 1-1. Ivanušec thought he had put Dinamo ahead two minutes later, but his goal was ruled offside. In the 37th minute, Stojković laid the ball off in a quick move for Beljo to finish from around ten meters and make it 2-1.
Lebreton was booked in the 44th minute for bringing down Beljo, and NEC equalized right on half-time. Bischoff broke down the left and delivered a difficult cross that Linssen met with a diving header for 2-2.
Neither side made changes at the break, and it was NEC who took control. By the 52nd minute, Dinamo were pinned inside their own final third, and two minutes later, the visitors went back in front. Darko Nejašmić played the ball forward to Linssen, who found Chery in the middle. The NEC captain applied just enough of a touch to beat Kotarski for 3-2.
Rodríguez replaced Almena in the 58th minute and quickly became Dinamo’s main outlet down the right. Stojković lobbed Crettaz on the counter in the 62nd minute but missed the target. Ivanušec went down in the box again two minutes later without reward, and Crettaz parried another Stojković effort in the 65th. Mario Kovačević turned to Oršić and Valinčić in the 67th minute, replacing Galešić and Hoxha.
NEC rode their luck in the 72nd minute. Rodríguez beat three players and set up Mišić, whose fierce shot from distance was saved by Crettaz, who then stopped Oršić’s follow-up. Three minutes later, Rodríguez cut inside and teed up Beljo, who could not convert from close range. Goda came on for Perez Vinlof in the 76th minute, with Monteiro replacing Geiger for NEC.
Chery settled it in the 80th minute, collecting a loose ball on the edge of the box and firing into the top corner for his second of the night. Crettaz denied Rodríguez after a counter in the 83rd minute and then saved an excellent Oršić free kick two minutes later, and NEC saw out four minutes of stoppage time to complete the win.
It was a first defeat in Europe this season for Dinamo and a first Europa League win for NEC. Dinamo travel to Sunderland on November 5 for their next league-phase match.
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