The first Champions League qualifying match ended in a perfect victory.
Dinamo Zagreb put on a brilliant display in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the Champions League.
Even though it was the first time these young players were playing in a Champions League qualifier, they showed no signs of nervousness. Each of them displayed a wolf-like aggression that completely overwhelmed FC Pyunik from Yerevan.
Watching these passionate and energetic youngsters, the fans of Dinamo Zagreb felt an immense release and satisfaction in their hearts.
Just a month ago, they had witnessed the Croatian national team crash out of the group stage in the Euros—an event that left them disheartened.
Now, these young men had brought them catharsis with a resounding and exhilarating performance.
"Dinamo Zagreb's First Match Ends in a Big Win!"
"Suker with Two Assists and a Goal – A Phenomenal Performance!"
"Dinamo Zagreb 4:0 Pyunik – Armenian Giants Crushed!"
"An Electrifying Match from a Group of Young Players!"
"Remember Their Names – They Are the Future!"
All the major newspapers in Croatia covered the match.
Croatian TV replayed the game in a loop.
At this point, most Croatian fans were still feeling down.
So, this match gave them a spark of hope for the future.
Of course, some media outlets were a bit overzealous, calling this team "Croatia's next golden generation."
But the fans remained calm.
They weren't buying into the hype.
The Golden Generation, led by Davor Šuker, had earned their reputation through victories at the World Cup—through battles hard-fought.
This new group, led by Suker . and company, had merely won one Champions League qualifier. There was no comparison.
Sure, they had talent. But they weren't at the level to be called a "Golden Generation" just yet.
Still, Dinamo Zagreb's excellent form made the fans happy.
But the other teams in the Croatian league started to get nervous.
Dinamo's form felt unstoppable.
On July 24, Dinamo Zagreb traveled for their second league match to face Slaven Belupo.
This game saw substitute player Schildenfeld getting his first start, pairing with Jarni in central defense.
Schildenfeld was the first substitute to earn a starting role—rewarded for his excellent defensive performance in the last Champions League match.
Štimac moved to the bench, and the captain's armband went to Srna.
"Captain, wanna shout a slogan?"
Suker turned and teased a nervous-looking Srna.
Srna glanced at him and yelled, "Srna!"
BOOO~~~~~~~~~Suker and the others booed.
Srna turned back and cursed with a smile, "Can't you guys hype me up for once?"
Duimović replied, "Try again!"
Srna composed himself and shouted again, "Srna!"
BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!Even louder boos this time.
Angry, Srna ran over and kicked Duimović's backside.
Everyone burst into laughter.
CLAP CLAP CLAP!!
Suker clapped loudly, "Let's go, boys! Let's win this game!"
The squad was instantly pumped.
Schildenfeld stood tall and proud.
This was his first start—he had to make it count.
"Slaven Belupo crosses from the wing, looking for their tall striker Kresnoć! Can he get to it? Oh~~~!! Schildenfeld gets there first! He rises up and heads it away! The ball lands perfectly at Modrić's feet—Dinamo Zagreb launches a counterattack!"
Modrić turned and sprinted with the ball.
As he dribbled, he looked around.
Mandžukić was double-teamed.
Valević couldn't push forward.
Passing to Duimović on the side would only slow things down.
The choice was clear!
Modrić used his dribbling to draw defenders in, then made a slicing through ball between the opposing full-back and center-back.
"Suker!"
From the flank, Suker made a sudden diagonal run.
Laušić stepped in and shoved him hard.
"You're not getting past!"
He tried to push Suker off balance and out of bounds.
It was a heavy hit!
Suker staggered but planted his hands on the ground and pushed himself forward again with explosive force.
"He didn't fall?"
Laušić was stunned.
Suker would've gone down from that before.
His physicality had clearly improved.
As he watched Suker race away, he realized—too late.
"Crap!"
He tried to chase, but Suker had already gained too much ground.
Suker charged into the box.
"Suker holds off the defender and gets into the box. Can Božić stop him?"
Suker made a fake pass toward Mandžukić.
Božić shifted his weight to block it.
At that moment, Suker used his right foot to pull the ball back.
With explosive acceleration, he blew past Božić.
"He's through!"
One-on-one, Suker looked up and shot with his left foot before the keeper could close in.
Swish!The ball zipped into the net between the keeper and the post.
"GOAL!!!! Dinamo Zagreb scores with a brilliant counterattack!"
"Luka Modrić's pinpoint through ball!"
"Suker's dribble and goal!"
"Dinamo Zagreb takes the lead away from home!"
"Their unbeaten streak could reach 38 games!"
After scoring, Suker jogged to the corner flag and turned toward the camera, showing off his jersey number.
#9 – Suker!
"Suker shows off his number, a tribute to Davor!"
Commentator Klaušević said emotionally, "What a good kid!"
Suker pumped his fist toward the stands and then walked away.
Dinamo Zagreb kept pressing.
In the 43rd minute, Modrić assisted Mandžukić with a header to make it 2–0.
Halftime: two goals up.
Early in the second half, Suker and Mandžukić pressed high. Mandžukić pulled wide and fed the ball into the box.
Suker timed his run and slid in to score.
Dinamo led by three.
Coach Bešić made substitutions.
Modrić came off for Rakitić. Mandžukić was replaced by Jelavić.
More subs got a chance—and they'd get more in the future.
"Tell me! Why the hell did you stop tracking back!?"
In the locker room, Srna glared furiously at Rakitić.
"Because of your laziness, we conceded a goal. You're responsible!"
Rakitić was defiant. "It's just one goal. We still won, didn't we?"
"That's not the point!"
Srna shouted: "It's about discipline!"
"Today you don't run, tomorrow someone else doesn't, then no one runs. Our tactics require everyone to run hard. You slacked, your position was exposed, and they exploited it."
"Damn it! Remember this—you wear the Dinamo Zagreb jersey now. You're not a youth player. You're a pro. Show some attitude!"
Srna turned and growled:
"Listen up. When I wear the captain's armband, I'm the boss in here! You follow my lead!"
"Laziness is the most disgraceful trait in a professional."
The room was silent. Srna added in a cold tone:
"Next time I see someone slacking, don't blame me for what happens."
He snorted and walked out of the locker room.
Suker watched the silent subs, stood up, and followed.
Duimović and the others followed too.
Their support for Srna was clear.
Their stance put extra pressure on the subs.
Down the hall, in the bathroom at the end, Srna stood by the window.
When he saw Suker and the others walk in, he asked nervously, "How'd I do?"
Suker gave a big thumbs up.
"Awesome. You shut them all down."
Srna exhaled in relief.
"Being captain's tough—you've gotta assert dominance, make them respect you."
He had planned this.
As captain, he lacked authority in the locker room.
So, he needed an opportunity to lay down the law.
Rakitić just happened to walk into the crosshairs.
"He's way too cocky!" Duimović grumbled.
Suker laughed, "Still mad he nutmegged you?"
"Bullshit!"
Duimović snapped back.
Rakitić was arrogant—but undeniably talented.
As a future Croatian midfield mainstay, his ability was legit.
His personality, though, needed work.
"In three days we go to Armenia. Win that match, and we move on to the second round."
Srna said.
"Our next opponent will be tougher," Suker grinned. "But victory is ours!"
"I'll take care of scoring!"
Srna wrapped an arm around Suker's shoulders.
"You punk!"
Srna was grateful to have a teammate like Suker—always optimistic, always dependable.