News Feature

Croatian football champions make European progress

24 July 2008

Dinamo Zagreb have made it into the second qualifying round of the Champions League following a 3-1 aggregate victory over Northern Irish side Linfield.

Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring after three minutes, adding to his two goals in Belfast and giving the Croatian football league champions a 3-0 lead overall.

The visitors gave themselves a chance however, scoring in the 54th minute having gone close with a header which rebounded off the woodwork two minutes earlier, which no doubt delighted the visiting fans from Northern Ireland.

Despite their efforts, the Northern Irish champions could not pull back the further two away goals they required in the Maksimir stadium, enabling Dinamo's progress into the next round.

In it they will face NK Domzale, the nearby Slovenian side who defeated Dudelange 2-1 to make the second qualifying round.

The two clashed in last year's Champions League qualifying, with the Croatian champions winning both legs, 3-1 in Zagreb and 2-1 when making the short trip across the border.

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