Chapter 144: Champions League Third Round

Words : 1382 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Inside the tactical room of Dinamo Zagreb. Everyone was gathered together, nervously watching the live Champions League third qualifying round draw on TV. Reaching the third round meant the overall difficulty of the qualifiers would increase exponentially. Strong teams from the top five leagues were entering the fray. Top-ranked champions from various European leagues were also making their appearances. Liverpool, Juventus, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Monaco, Inter Milan — all these top five league teams were in the mix. So were CSKA Moscow, Dynamo Kyiv, Basel, Benfica, and other top-ranked clubs from various European leagues. At this stage, regardless of public attention, the intensity of the competition had clearly risen. "No Liverpool, no Real Madrid, no Manchester United, no Inter Milan! God, please!" Duimović was muttering prayers like a mantra. Everyone else stared nervously at the TV screen. Dinamo Zagreb had failed 14 times to pass the third qualifying round of the Champions League. After repeated failures, they deeply understood that this round was the watershed — the line between contenders and pretenders. Without enough strength, crossing this mountain was nearly impossible. Of course, a favorable draw was extremely important. At this stage, there were no so-called "weak" teams — only relatively weaker ones. The phase of crushing minnows was over. Reaching this point meant every team had solid strength. That's why Suker wasn't overly nervous. Soon, Real Madrid was drawn. Everyone held their breath, and Duimović's prayers grew louder. Under everyone's focused gaze, Real Madrid's opponent was revealed— A team from Poland: Wisła Kraków! Phew~~~ Everyone let out a long breath of relief. But next, Manchester United was drawn. Tension returned immediately. United's opponent: Dinamo Bucharest, from Romania. Another sigh of relief from the team. "Just draw us already! This tension is killing me!" Duimović cursed out loud. This kind of mental torture was awful. And just as he spoke, the Dinamo Zagreb crest appeared on screen. Everyone's nerves tightened once more. Plenty of top five league teams were still in the draw. Duimović resumed his frantic prayers, now shaking visibly. "No Juventus, no Liverpool, no Leverkusen..." As he continued muttering, Zagreb's opponent was revealed— Dynamo Kyiv from the Ukrainian Premier League! There was no such thing as a truly good or bad draw at this stage. Any team that made it here had real quality. However, compared to teams from the top five leagues, Dynamo Kyiv was slightly more manageable. The next day, Bešić began preparing tactics for the third-round matchup. But first, he introduced the opposition's key players. "Dynamo Kyiv is a Ukrainian Premier League team, the former club of Andriy Shevchenko. They used to rely on long balls and direct play, with Shevchenko spearheading the attack." "But this current Dynamo Kyiv side plays a very different style!" "Sablic, Rincon, Giani, Yussuf, and El Kaddouri!" "Remember these names — all of them are technically skilled players. Rincon and Giani, both Brazilians, are the main organizers and tempo controllers for the team." "Up front, they have two strikers — Kleber and Verpakovskis — both of whom are explosive and aggressive forwards." "Dynamo Kyiv likes to play a 4-4-2 formation, focusing on possession and creating space for their forwards to exploit with deep runs." Hearing this, even without further explanation, the players on the team already understood. "They build through the spine, maintain possession, and try to create running lanes for their strikers." Modrić grinned: "They just ran into a buzzsaw!" It wasn't Zagreb running into danger — it was Dynamo Kyiv. Dinamo Zagreb's specialty was high pressing — the perfect counter to this possession-based style. They preferred technical, ball-on-the-ground teams rather than long-ball merchants. "We press from the start, disrupt their rhythm — that's our strength." Suker agreed: "If they really play that way, our chances are even better." Having survived the terrifying Balkan derby, Zagreb's players had grown noticeably. In mentality and maturity, they had clearly leveled up. Most importantly, they now played with genuine confidence. Their team chemistry was also becoming more refined. "It's about time you all started breaking out, right?" Suker teased: "So much training, and you guys still look like you're warming up?" Everyone turned and glared at Suker. "You're asking for it!" They instantly gave chase. But Suker sprinted away like a flash. With his explosive pace, they couldn't catch him even if they tried. Watching his figure disappear in the distance, Modrić came to a halt. "Annoying as he is, he's right — it's time for us to deliver." "All those sleepless nights of training and repetition... it's time to show what we've built." Srna clenched his fist. "Let's show our spirit. We're not that weak. If we want it — we can win everything." With encouragement passed around between teammates, the third qualifying round of the Champions League loomed. Their opponent: the formidable Dynamo Kyiv. By the way, the word "Dynamo" comes from a Soviet term for public security or police. It later spread to the sports world, especially in Eastern Europe. So even though they're both named "Dynamo," Dynamo Kyiv and Dinamo Zagreb have no actual connection. Just like Lokomotiv Moscow and Lokomotiva Zagreb share no real affiliation. Back in the domestic league, Dinamo Zagreb started rotating players. Coach Bešić seemed to have accepted the likelihood of losing some of his young stars, so he began investing heavily in his bench players. Jelavić, Rakitić, Strinić, Šimunić, Ćorluka, Subašić — all began getting substitute appearances. Some even started matches during the rotation period. Bešić never hesitated to start players who performed well. And due to the brilliance of the current first team, Rakitić and the rest pushed themselves hard to catch up. With natural talent and relentless effort, their progress was visible to the naked eye. Still, for now, all focus remained on the Champions League. "GOAL!! Mandžukić!! Another brilliant performance from Mario Mandžukić this season!" "From the bench to the starting lineup, Mandžukić's rise hasn't been easy. But he's taken it step by step — now he's the second most dangerous attacker in the team." "Even without Suker, Srna, and other regulars, Dinamo Zagreb still beat Lokomotiva Zagreb thanks to the superb performances of Modrić and Mandžukić." "Lokomotiva looked powerless against their dominant crosstown rivals." On the bench, Suker and Srna watched in training bibs. "Kalenović's form has really dropped off." Suker noted as he watched the frustrated striker waving his arms in desperation. Once a serious threat to them, Kalenović now looked completely out of sorts. The score was already 3–1. Mandžukić had scored twice. And Šimunić, starting in defense, scored from a corner — the first among the bench players to net a goal. A center-back scoring left young players like Rakitić increasingly desperate to prove themselves. "Lokomotiva lack discipline. Look at Kačarida — he's put on serious weight!" Srna joked: "What are they feeding him?" "Beer." Suker pointed at Šimunić. "He's got a beer belly. This guy still starts for the national team?" Srna laughed: "Šimunić's got it rough. Poor club and national team performances, and both Hamburg and Lokomotiva extended his loan. Looks like he's not returning any time soon." Suker stretched out lazily. "Forget them. Let's focus on our own games. We have to bring it next match." Four days later, they would host Dynamo Kyiv at Maksimir Stadium. This would be the first leg of the third qualifying round — and it was at home. They needed to win and gain the upper hand, so the away leg would be more manageable. "The game's wrapping up." In the dying moments, Lokomotiva still tried to break down Dinamo Zagreb's wall — but their defense was too strong. As the final whistle blew, Dinamo Zagreb had earned yet another victory. Another league win in the bag, and riding this wave of momentum, they turned their attention to the looming Champions League third qualifying round. This would be Dinamo Zagreb's 15th attempt in club history to reach the Champions League proper. But this time was different. This time, it was a group of young players rewriting history for them.

Chapter 144: Champions League Third Round

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