Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking Ends 2-2 as Viking Fight Back From Two Goals Down
The Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking Champions League play-off first leg produced a dramatic 2-2 draw at Stadion Maksimir on Tuesday night.
Dinamo Zagreb looked to be in complete control after scoring twice inside the opening 10 minutes. Dion Drena Beljo put the Croatian side ahead in the sixth minute before Mateo Lisica doubled the advantage four minutes later.
But Viking FK refused to collapse.
Peter Christiansen pulled one goal back in the 26th minute, and captain Zlatko Tripic completed the comeback before half-time. The second half produced no further goals, leaving the tie completely open ahead of the return match in Norway.
For Dinamo, it will feel like a missed opportunity.
For Viking, coming back from 2-0 down away from home gives the Norwegian champions plenty of confidence going into the second leg.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking result
The final score was:
Team
Score
Dinamo Zagreb
2
Viking FK
2
Half-time: Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Viking
Competition: UEFA Champions League qualifying play-off
Venue: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb
Date: 18 August 2026
All four goals were scored during a remarkable first half, while neither side managed to find the net after the break.
Dinamo Zagreb started the match brilliantly
The opening 10 minutes could hardly have gone better for Dinamo.
The Croatian side immediately put Viking under pressure and found the breakthrough after only six minutes.
Dion Drena Beljo finished Matteo Pérez Vinlöf’s ball across the box, although the goal had to be checked by VAR before it was confirmed.
The decision went Dinamo’s way.
They were 1-0 up.
Just four minutes later, the advantage was doubled.
Viking defender Henrik Falchener’s loose back pass was punished by Beljo, who then played Mateo Lisica through. Lisica made no mistake and put the home side 2-0 ahead.
At that point, Dinamo looked firmly in control.
Viking refused to panic
Being two goals behind after only 10 minutes could have destroyed Viking’s game plan.
Instead, the Norwegian side gradually settled down.
Dinamo almost added a third when Miha Zajc came close to scoring, but his effort hit the post.
That moment proved important because Viking soon found a way back into the match.
In the 26th minute, Tobias Moi produced a clever pass into the path of Peter Christiansen.
Christiansen finished confidently into the roof of the net.
Suddenly, Viking had a reason to believe again.
Zlatko Tripic completes the comeback
The second Viking goal arrived only 13 minutes after Christiansen’s strike.
Again, Tobias Moi was involved.
This time, he found captain Zlatko Tripic on the left side of the penalty area.
Tripic created enough space for himself before placing his shot inside the far post.
The score was suddenly 2-2.
Dinamo had gone from being two goals ahead to level before half-time.
That completely changed the mood inside Stadion Maksimir.
Dinamo vs Viking was a tale of two halves
The match can almost be divided into two completely different stories.
Dinamo dominated the early stages and scored twice.
Viking then found a response and scored twice before the interval.
After half-time, Dinamo again controlled much of the possession and territory, but the home side could not turn that pressure into another goal.
Luka Stojkovic headed wide early in the second half, while Mislav Orsic later forced Viking goalkeeper Arild Østbø into a good save.
Viking also had a late opportunity when Gianni Stensness came close to connecting with a cutback from Christiansen.
The numbers show that Dinamo controlled much of the match even though the score finished level.
Statistic
Dinamo Zagreb
Viking
Possession
59.7%
40.3%
Shots
23
6
Shots on target
4
3
Corners
10
3
Passes
544
371
Accurate passes
438
272
Crosses
27
13
Offsides
1
0
Saves
1
2
Clearances
24
46
The statistics underline an important point: Dinamo created significantly more attacking volume, but Viking were more efficient with the chances they had.
The available match data shows Dinamo with nearly 60% possession and 23 shots compared with Viking’s six.
Dion Drena Beljo was one of Dinamo’s biggest positives
Beljo had a major influence on the match.
He scored Dinamo’s opener and then helped create the second goal for Lisica.
That made him one of the most dangerous players on the pitch during the opening period.
He also finished the game as Flashscore’s Man of the Match.
For Dinamo, that is an encouraging sign ahead of the return leg.
The bigger concern will be why a team that had such a strong start allowed Viking to score twice before half-time.
Tobias Moi makes the difference for Viking
While Christiansen and Tripic scored the goals, Tobias Moi deserves plenty of credit for Viking’s comeback.
He supplied the assist for both goals.
His first pass opened the door for Christiansen.
His second created the opportunity for Tripic.
That means Moi directly contributed to both of Viking’s goals without scoring himself.
It was exactly the type of performance Viking needed after falling two goals behind.
Zlatko Tripic shows his experience
Tripic’s equaliser was particularly important.
The Viking captain did not panic when the ball arrived on the left side of the box.
Instead, he opened his body and picked out the far corner.
The goal completed a comeback that looked extremely unlikely after the first 10 minutes.
His leadership will now be important when Viking play the second leg at home.
Why the 2-2 result matters
A 2-2 draw leaves everything open.
Neither team has taken a significant advantage into the second leg.
Dinamo will probably be disappointed because they had a two-goal lead and also created more chances.
Viking, however, will view the result very differently.
They were two goals down inside 10 minutes and still managed to leave Zagreb with a draw.
That could give them a psychological boost before the return match.
Dinamo Zagreb’s biggest problem was finishing the game
The statistics make Dinamo’s frustration understandable.
They had:
23 shots
10 corners
59.7% possession
544 passes
Yet they scored only twice.
Viking, meanwhile, had just six shots but scored twice.
That is a classic example of how football can punish a team that fails to convert its control into goals.
Dinamo had enough opportunities to win the first leg, but Viking made their chances count.
What happened after half-time?
The second half was much quieter than the first.
Dinamo continued to have more of the ball and spent long periods in Viking’s half.
But the Norwegian side defended deeper and managed to protect the draw.
Orsic came close in the 73rd minute, when goalkeeper Arild Østbø made a good save to push his effort around the post.
Viking also had a late chance to potentially complete an incredible turnaround, but Stensness was unable to connect cleanly with Christiansen’s cutback.
Dinamo then created two late opportunities of their own.
Dinamo went into the game without suspended goalkeeper Ivan Filipovic, who had been sent off during the previous qualifying round.
Ivan Nevistic therefore started in goal.
A likely Dinamo setup included Nevistic behind a defence featuring Scott McKenna, Sergi Dominguez, Matteo Pérez Vinlöf and Moris Valincic, with Luka Stojkovic, Miha Zajc and Mateo Lisica involved further forward.
Viking relied on Arild Østbø in goal, with Zlatko Tripic and Peter Christiansen among their main attacking threats.
Dinamo Zagreb’s road to the play-off
Dinamo arrived at this stage after already navigating two qualifying rounds.
They defeated Swiss side Thun over two legs before overcoming Kauno Žalgiris in the third qualifying round.
The aggregate score against Kauno Žalgiris was 7-1, including a 5-0 victory in Zagreb and a 2-1 win away from home.
That run had given Dinamo confidence.
They were also unbeaten heading into the Viking match.
But the 2-2 draw showed that the play-off stage would be a different challenge.
Viking’s route is very different
Viking entered the Champions League play-off as Norwegian champions.
That makes this tie particularly significant for the club.
The Norwegian side have far less recent Champions League experience than Dinamo.
Before this campaign, Viking had not reached this stage of the competition since their earlier European adventures, while Dinamo have been regular participants in UEFA competition.
Yet their performance in Zagreb showed that they are not intimidated by the occasion.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking second leg
The second leg will be played in Stavanger, Norway, on 26 August 2026.
The tie is therefore perfectly balanced at 2-2 after the opening match.
There is no advantage for either side on aggregate.
That makes the second leg extremely important.
Dinamo will know they had enough chances to win the first match.
Viking will know they already demonstrated that they can hurt Dinamo.
What Dinamo need to improve
Dinamo do not necessarily need to completely change their approach.
Their attacking numbers were strong.
The bigger issue is defensive concentration.
Giving away two goals after taking a 2-0 lead made the game much harder than it needed to be.
They also need to be more clinical.
Twenty-three shots should normally give a team a strong chance of winning a match.
If Dinamo create similar opportunities in Stavanger, they will need to finish more of them.
What Viking can take from the draw
Viking have plenty of positives.
The biggest is their reaction to adversity.
Going 2-0 down away from home could have ended the contest early.
Instead, they scored twice before half-time.
They also defended for long periods in the second half and survived Dinamo’s pressure.
The Norwegian side now have home advantage.
That makes the second leg a very interesting contest.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking: who has the advantage?
It is difficult to give either side a clear advantage after the first leg.
Dinamo have shown that they can create more chances.
Viking have shown that they can punish mistakes.
The second leg could therefore come down to which team handles pressure better.
For Dinamo, the key will be avoiding another defensive collapse.
For Viking, the challenge will be dealing with a Dinamo side that may feel it should have won in Zagreb.
The bigger Champions League picture
This is the stage where every small mistake matters.
The winner of the two-legged tie will move into the Champions League league phase.
The loser will have to continue its European campaign elsewhere.
That makes the second leg more than just another European fixture.
It is a major opportunity for both clubs.
For Dinamo, qualification would continue their long association with European football’s top competition.
For Viking, progressing would represent a major achievement for the Norwegian champions.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking: key numbers
Key number
Detail
2-2
Final score
4
Total goals
23
Dinamo shots
6
Viking shots
59.7%
Dinamo possession
40.3%
Viking possession
10
Dinamo corners
3
Viking corners
2
Goals by Dinamo in first 10 minutes
2
Viking goals before half-time
2
Tobias Moi assists
26′
Christiansen goal
39′
Tripic equaliser
26 August
Second leg
The match statistics show just how different the two teams’ approaches were: Dinamo generated the majority of the possession and shots, while Viking were highly efficient with limited opportunities.
Final verdict
The Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking first leg delivered almost everything a Champions League play-off match should.
There were four goals.
There was an early two-goal lead.
There was a comeback.
There were chances at both ends.
And, most importantly, there is still nothing separating the teams.
Dinamo will be disappointed that their 2-0 advantage disappeared so quickly. They had more possession, more shots and more corners, but Viking made their limited opportunities count.
For Viking, the 2-2 draw is an excellent result considering how badly the match started.
The Norwegian champions showed character and composure to recover from two goals down.
Now the tie moves to Stavanger.
Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Viking.
Everything remains to be decided on 26 August 2026.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking FAQs
What was the Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking score?
Dinamo Zagreb and Viking FK drew 2-2 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie.
Who scored for Dinamo Zagreb?
Dion Drena Beljo scored in the sixth minute, while Mateo Lisica added Dinamo’s second goal in the 10th minute.
Who scored for Viking?
Peter Christiansen scored in the 26th minute and Zlatko Tripic equalised in the 39th minute.
Football Writer & Arsenal Transfer News Contributor
Thabo Mokoena is a football writer and passionate Arsenal
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