Croatian clubs clinch three European wins, Dinamo draws in latest round

Over the past week Croatian football clubs have posted strong results in European competition. Hajduk Split, HNK Rijeka and NK Varaždin each recorded victories, while Dinamo Zagreb earned a 1‑1 draw away to Swiss side Thun. The three wins mark the first occasion since 17 July 2014 that three Croatian clubs have won on the same day in Europe.

Dinamo’s match against Thun featured a late goal from Fran Topić to secure the equaliser, but the side missed Luka Stojković after his red card in the previous round. Varaždin’s 3‑2 win over Jablonec in the Czech Republic was sealed by a late strike from Mamić. Rijeka overcame Derry City in Ireland, with former player and sporting director Elvis Brajković noting, “We must better use individual quality and one‑on‑one play to avoid letting a single mistake ruin the effort.”

The results place the Croatian clubs in favourable positions for the next stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League and Europa League qualifiers, with Dinamo set to face the winner of the Žalgiris‑KÍK clash should they progress.