Dinamo Shock Premier League Sunderland With 2-0 Away Win
Dinamo produced one of their best European results in years on Thursday night, beating Sunderland 2-0 in the fourth round of the Europa League league phase. It was a dream debut for interim coach Jerko Leko, who took over only days earlier after Mario Kovačević was sacked.
Luka Stojković opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and set up Dion Drena Beljo for the second in the 39th, before Dinamo held firm through a second half in which the Premier League side had a goal disallowed and hit the woodwork. The win lifts Dinamo to seven points from four matches, level with Sunderland, and brings in €450,000 in UEFA prize money, the reward for every league-phase win in the Europa League.
Combined with the earlier win over Anderlecht and the draw with Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Dinamo's results in the league phase alone have now earned them more than €1 million, and their total European earnings this season stand at close to €16 million. Lineups Sunderland: Roefs; Meunier, Danso, Alderete, Methalie; Xhaka, Ahoka; Rigg, Angulo, Fofana; Isidor Dinamo: Kotarski; Valinčić, Domínguez, Galešić, Goda; Stojković, Mišić, Kačavenda; Lisica, Beljo, Oršić Dinamo started well.
Josip Mišić pounced on a loose ball in the 2nd minute and shot over from 18 meters, while Wilson Isidor's falling effort from the edge of the box three minutes later was a simple take for Dominik Kotarski. Oršić blazed a shot well over in the 9th minute.
Sunderland's best early move came in the 11th minute, when Chris Rigg found space on the right and crossed for Jules Ahoka, whose header was gathered by Kotarski. Isidor then headed over from a Nilson Angulo cross in the 17th minute, and three minutes later a scramble from an Angulo free kick ended with Thomas Meunier's shot blocked by Mišić.
Dinamo almost took the lead in the 22nd minute. Moris Valinčić crossed from the right, and Beljo controlled the ball in the box, but his close-range shot was blocked at the last moment.
From the resulting corner, the breakthrough came. Oršić delivered from the right, Sunderland headed it out only as far as Stojković on the edge of the box, and the midfielder took it on his chest before firing a volley into the net for 1-0.
It should have been 2-0 a minute later. Stojković played in Oršić, who rounded goalkeeper Robin Roefs and shot towards an empty net, only for Meunier to clear off the line.
Galešić was booked in the 25th minute, and Xhaka followed a minute later after a painful collision with Mišić in midfield that left both captains needing treatment. Sunderland nearly equalized in the 30th minute.