Celta made it three Europa League wins in a row with a comfortable 3-0 win away at Dinamo Zagreb. Pablo Duran found the back of the net twice either side of a Sergi Dominguez own goal in a match that Celta had effectively wrapped up by the first half.
Bryan Zaragoza and Jones El-Abdellaoui were either side of Pablo Duran in Celta’s front three with veteran talisman Iago Aspas in attacking midfield. Mateo Lisica, Sandro Kulenovic and Arber Hoxha were the front three for the Croatian side.
The match was characterized by Celta Vigo’s overwhelming first-half efficiency against a Dinamo Zagreb side that was repeatedly foiled by blocks, saves, and its own lack of defensive discipline.
The Spanish side established immediate control, launching a decisive attack that yielded the opening goal in the 4th minute. The goal came from Pablo Durán, who successfully converted the chance after an assist from Iago Aspas. Celta’s confidence surged, and almost immediately after, Jones El Abdellaoui took a right-footed shot from outside the box, though it went wide to the left.
Dinamo Zagreb struggled to contain the Spanish attack and organize their own response. Their first clear sight of goal however came in the 22nd minute when Miha Zajc’s left-footed shot from the centre of the box was blocked. This was after Dinamo had been caught offside with Arbër Hoxha in the 21st minute. While Dinamo won corners in the 17th minute, conceded by Javi Rodríguez and Celta won one in the 23rd minute, conceded by Scott McKenna, Celta continued to look the more dangerous side.
Celta continued to mount pressure on the Dinamo goal, resulting in a crucial save in the 27th minute as goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić was forced to stretch and stop a mid-range shot from Iago Aspas, narrowly preventing a second Celta goal. However, just one minute later, the Dinamo defense cracked. A Celta attack led to the second goal, an own goal by Dinamo player Sergi Domínguez in the 28th minute.
The quick succession of goals demonstrated Celta’s attacking flow, with two early goals in the span of 24 minutes. Goalscorer Pablo Durán had a chance to extend the lead moments later, but his right-footed shot from inside the box was blocked in the 29th minute. Dinamo’s attacking efforts continued to be rather wayward, Miha Zajc’s left-footed shot in the 36th minute went wide to the left , and Miguel Román’s right-footed shot for Celta went too high in the 38th minute.
Dinamo had their best chance to score in the 42nd minute. After earning a corner in the 40th minute, conceded by Carl Starfelt, Sandro Kulenovic’s cross-shot was saved by Celta keeper Iván Villar on to the post, denying Dinamo a crucial goal and illustrating Celta’s defensive diligence.
Celta Vigo however capitalized once more just before the whistle to put the match effectively to bed. In the 44th minute, Pablo Durán scored his second goal, securing a brace from a fast break assisted by Bryan Zaragoza. This clinical strike pushed the score to an imposing 0-3 lead at halftime.
Dinamo Zagreb’s coach immediately made a double substitution at halftime in an attempt to spark a comeback. Matteo Perez Vinlöf replaced Bruno Goda , and Mounsef Bakrar came on for Kévin Théophile-Catherine.
However, the three-goal deficit allowed Celta to shift their tactics to defensive management, controlling the game while Dinamo held more possession without penetrating the goal. In the 63rd minute, Celta made two substitutions, resting key attackers: Ferran Jutglà replaced Bryan Zaragoza , and the two-goal hero Pablo Durán was replaced by Borja Iglesias.
Dinamo’s attacking frustration was evident as attempts were repeatedly thwarted. In the 66th minute, Mateo Lisica’s left-footed shot was blocked from outside the box. After another corner in the 74th minute again conceded by Carl Starfelt , Arbër Hoxha’s right-footed shot was also blocked in the 75th minute.
Celta continued their strategy with two defensive substitutions in the 76th minute: Damián Rodríguez came on for Fran Beltrán , and Yoel Lago replaced Carl Starfelt. Dinamo made a final change with Gonzalo Villar replacing Miha Zajc in the 78th minute.
Dinamo’s closest second-half opportunity came in the 82nd minute when Luka Stojkovic’s right-footed shot from outside the box forced a crucial save from keeper Iván Villar in the top left corner. Celta made their final change, bringing on Hugo Sotelo for Miguel Román in the 84th minute. The final minutes were defined by Dinamo’s exhaustion, culminating in Luka Stojkovic’s header in the 89th minute going too high , and a foul by Mounsef Bakrar in stoppage time.
The match ended with a comprehensive 3-0 victory for the Spanish side, showcasing their clinical efficiency and defensive stability throughout the 90 minutes.
