Dinamo travels to Thun: Kovačević seeks a calm start to the European season against the Swiss champions
Dinamo Zagreb will visit Thun on Tuesday, 21 July, at 8 p.m. in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. For the Zagreb club, this will not only be the first official appearance of the 2026/27 season, but also its landmark 400th match in European club competitions. Head coach Mario Kovačević's team set off for Switzerland with optimism, but without underestimating an opponent that surprised Swiss football in the previous season by winning the championship as a newly promoted side. Dinamo's objective is to achieve a result that would put the club in a better position ahead of the return leg scheduled for 28 July in Zagreb. The stakes are high because progressing would open the path to the third qualifying round, while the defeated team would continue its European season in the Europa League qualifiers.
Before the journey, Kovačević emphasised that the players had completed the preparation period without any major health problems and that the coaching staff could count on almost the entire squad. According to Dinamo's official announcement, the only confirmed absentee is Luka Stojković, who is ineligible to play because of a suspension following a red card. The coach pointed out that the opening European matches often carry additional uncertainty because they are played before teams have reached full competitive rhythm. That is precisely why he expects a disciplined performance, good risk management and concentration throughout all 90 minutes. Dinamo are not travelling to Switzerland to defend a draw, but it is clear that the first match of the tie will require patience and adaptation to the opponent.
Thun comes into the match after a historic season
The caution shown by Dinamo's coaching staff is firmly supported by the results of the Swiss champions. According to data from the Swiss Football League, Thun won the first championship title in the club's history in the 2025/26 season, immediately after returning to the top division. Official reports described this outcome as one of the greatest stories in Swiss club football in recent years. During the regular part of the championship, the team from the canton of Bern had already built a reputation as an exceptionally intense side, capable of putting together winning runs and punishing opponents who failed to match its high work rate. The title was mathematically confirmed at the beginning of May, after Thun's rivals could no longer catch the team at the top of the table.
The club entered the summer of 2026 with an important change in the dugout. At the beginning of June, FC Thun appointed Gian-Luca Privitelli as its new head coach, officially announcing that he had signed a three-year contract. Privitelli took over a team that had won the title, but which was simultaneously facing the usual challenges of the transfer window, changes to the squad and the need to carry last season's identity into European matches. Beljo drew attention to that exact fact when he said that Thun were no longer completely the same team as they had been during their championship-winning season. Nevertheless, according to Dinamo's analysis, the fundamental characteristics of their football remain recognisable: aggression in duels, high energy expenditure, direct play and a willingness to use long balls.
Dinamo striker Dion Drena Beljo described the hosts as a physically very demanding opponent that plays with a great deal of running and tries to impose its rhythm from the first minute. He stressed that the coaching staff had studied the opposition in detail and that the players knew what kind of match awaited them. His words show that Dinamo do not regard Thun as underdogs merely because the Swiss club does not possess an equally rich European history. The current championship title and the manner in which it was won are enough of a warning that every mistake when playing out of pressure or defending the second ball could prove costly. In such a contest, the midfield's ability to calm the game and prevent the match from turning into a succession of physical duels will be particularly important.
Artificial turf as an adaptation factor, not an alibi
The match will be played at the stadium that FC Thun now calls Visana Stadion, previously known as Stockhorn Arena. The Swiss club's official website states that the stadium opened in 2011 and accommodates around 10,000 spectators. On 20 July, the hosts announced that all tickets for the match against Dinamo had been sold and that, counting the closing stages of the previous season, the stadium would be completely full for the fifth consecutive time. This means that, in addition to facing a high-quality and energetic opponent, Dinamo must also contend with a compact environment in which the crowd is very close to the pitch. For Thun, it will be the first major European occasion since winning the historic title, so a particularly emotional atmosphere is expected.
The artificial surface is an additional talking point ahead of the match. Kovačević said that he did not want to attach decisive importance to it and that the team would use its final training session to adapt to the speed of the ball, its bounce and the footing required when changing direction. Beljo admitted that he had not played on artificial turf for a long time, but also stressed that the surface must not become an excuse. Dinamo will therefore have to carefully manage sliding challenges, duels and sudden changes of direction, particularly in the opening phase of the match. Artificial turf often speeds up the movement of the ball, and the home players are generally more familiar with its characteristics, but the technically superior team can also benefit if it precisely controls its passing and positioning on the pitch.
Kovačević's position that the surface will not decide the match is simultaneously a message to his own team that its focus must remain on the tactical tasks. Dinamo will have to find a balance between safe possession and sufficiently vertical play so that Thun are not given time to organise their press. The way the visitors react after losing the ball will be particularly important because, according to the available analyses, the hosts quickly look for space behind the opposition's defensive line. In attack, Beljo will be tasked with holding up the ball under contact and creating space for players arriving from deeper positions. If Dinamo manage to avoid unnecessary stoppages and establish a controlled rhythm early in the match, the hosts' advantage from their familiarity with the pitch could be significantly reduced.
The first official test after preparations
For Dinamo, the trip to Thun marks the transition from the preparation period to a competition in which every mistake directly affects the club's European future. According to results published on the official club websites, the Zagreb team played preparation matches during the summer, including victories against Brinje and Koper. Preparation results can increase confidence, but they cannot fully simulate the intensity of a qualifying contest in front of a sold-out stadium. Kovačević therefore had good reason to emphasise that the first matches of a season can be uncomfortable, even for teams that possess greater European experience on paper. Physical freshness must be accompanied by competitive discipline, especially in situations following set pieces and near the end of each half.
Dinamo's squad for the 2026/27 season includes a combination of experienced players and footballers who have yet to establish their roles in European matches. The official first-team list includes, among others, goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić, defenders Scott McKenna, Niko Galešić and Raúl Torrente, midfielders Josip Mišić, Miha Zajc, Gabriel Vidović and Luka Stojković, as well as attackers Beljo, Mislav Oršić, Arbër Hoxha and Mateo Lisica. Because of Stojković's suspension, Kovačević must adjust his solutions between the lines, but he also has several options for changing the rhythm and structure during the match. The final line-up has not been officially confirmed, so it will only become clear shortly before kick-off whether Dinamo will seek dominant possession from the first minute or adopt a somewhat more cautious approach.
Beljo enters this contest as one of the most important attacking figures. His ability to withstand contact, attack space and finish moves should be particularly valuable against a defence that relies on aggressive duelling. Thun will probably try to prevent him from receiving the ball with his back to goal and force Dinamo to play towards the wide areas. The Zagreb side will therefore need sufficient movement around the centre-forward to ensure he does not become isolated. If Dinamo manage to connect Beljo with the wingers and midfielders, they can force the home defence to drop deeper than it would prefer.
Landmark 400th European match
The match in Thun will also carry a strong historical dimension. According to Dinamo's official statistics, the club has recorded 163 victories, 85 draws and 151 defeats in its previous 399 European matches, with an overall goal difference of 587:526. That total includes appearances in the European Cup and Champions League, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup and Europa League, Cup Winners' Cup and Conference League. The figure confirms the Zagreb club's continuity on the European stage, but the landmark itself will have no practical value if the team fails to meet the demands of the current contest. For the coach and players, it is more important that the 400th appearance becomes a solid foundation for the return leg than that it remains merely a statistical footnote.
The experience gained from a large number of European encounters gives Dinamo a certain institutional advantage. The club is accustomed to qualifying formats, travel, different surfaces and two-legged ties in which risk assessment changes from minute to minute. Thun, on the other hand, enter this stage as national champions with enormous emotional momentum and less pressure from international expectations. It is precisely that combination that makes the contest dangerous for the favourites: the hosts can play freely, while Dinamo are expected to progress. Kovačević's caution is therefore not a sign of a lack of confidence, but an understanding that European qualifiers are often decided by details.
For the 2026/27 season, UEFA retained the qualifying system in which the competition is divided from the second qualifying round into the champions path and the league path. Dinamo and Thun are in the champions path, and the winner of their tie will continue the fight for a place in the Champions League league phase. According to the draw held in Nyon on 20 July, the successful team from this pairing will face the winner of the tie between Klaksvík of the Faroe Islands and Lithuania's Kauno Žalgiris in the third qualifying round. The first match of the next round is expected to be played in Zagreb on 4 or 5 August, with the return leg on 11 August. Dinamo, however, publicly refuse to look that far ahead because any premature planning could reduce their focus on Thun.
A result for a calmer return leg in Zagreb
In two-legged qualifying ties, the first match often determines the psychological framework of the return leg. A victory in Switzerland would allow Dinamo to take control of the aggregate score and give themselves more tactical options in front of their own supporters. A draw would also leave the path open, but it would make the return match considerably more sensitive to a single set piece, mistake or early goal. A defeat would increase the pressure and force the Zagreb side into a more aggressive approach in the second match. Kovačević's wording about a "good result" therefore implies more than merely avoiding defeat: the objective is to play maturely, limit Thun's strongest periods and simultaneously create enough opportunities to score.
The greatest tactical challenge will be controlling the intensity of the home side. In front of a sold-out stadium, Thun will attempt to take advantage of their early surge, aggressive duels and the energy of the crowd, while Dinamo must avoid losing possession in dangerous areas. The opening 20 minutes could demonstrate how well the visitors have adapted to the surface and pace. Calm distribution from the back line, winning second balls and reacting well after set pieces will be just as important as individual quality in the final third. In a match of this profile, a single moment of precision can transform the entire tie.
Dinamo's message before the journey was optimistic but measured. The team is healthy, the opponent has been analysed and the artificial turf has been accepted as a circumstance to which they must adapt, rather than an excuse. Thun enter the match as historic Swiss champions, with a new coach, a sold-out stadium and a style that demands physical and mental readiness from the opposition. Dinamo bring greater European experience, a deeper squad and a clear ambition to continue their journey towards the league phase. The first answer to the question of how real those advantages are will arrive on Tuesday evening, when the Zagreb club's landmark 400th European match will also acquire its competitive meaning.
Sources:
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official match preview, statements by Mario Kovačević and Dion Drena Beljo, and information about the 400th European appearance (link)
- UEFA – schedule for the 2026/27 Champions League qualifiers, match date and competition structure (link)
- Swiss Football League – overview of Thun's historic championship title in the 2025/26 season (link)
- FC Thun Berner Oberland – confirmation of the appointment of Gian-Luca Privitelli as head coach for the 2026/27 season (link)
- FC Thun Berner Oberland – information about the sold-out match against Dinamo (link)
- FC Thun Berner Oberland – official information about Visana Stadion, its opening year and capacity (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official information about the possible opponent in the third qualifying round and the continuation of the European season (link)
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb – official first-team squad list for the 2026/27 season (link)