Monaco come from behind to claim draw with Dinamo Zagreb in Champions League

The Croatian side entered the match eager to shed their reputation as underperformers, following a heavy 9-2 defeat to Bayern Munich on the opening matchday, which ultimately led to the dismissal of coach Sergej Jakirovic. His successor, Nenad Bjelica, opted for a five-man defense to counter Monaco's offensive threats.

Despite this defensive strategy, the hosts began the match with great intensity. Monaco's goalkeeper, Philipp Kohn, managed to deflect a powerful free-kick from Martin Baturina, which was then cleared off the line by Mohammed Salisu. Bruno Petkovic attempted a speculative bicycle kick from an enticing cross by Stefan Ristovski, but it sailed over the goal.

In contrast to Dinamo's struggles in their previous match, Monaco aimed to build on their impressive victory over Barcelona. They nearly took the lead when a shot from Maghnes Akliouche deflected into the path of Takumi Minamino, but Ivan Nevistic was quick to intervene and deny the Japanese forward.

As the first half drew to a close, it was Dinamo's supporters who were celebrating. Petar Sucic displayed remarkable composure, maneuvering inside the box during a rapid counter-attack and delicately lifting the ball over Kohn, giving Bjelica's team a lead at halftime.

The home team seemed to navigate the challenging conditions more effectively than Monaco, who narrowly avoided going 2-0 down shortly after the second half commenced, as Petković failed to convert a close-range opportunity from Baturina’s deep corner into the penalty area.

However, the midfielder from Split was having an outstanding performance and rightfully found the back of the net by skillfully maneuvering into a central position just outside the box, where he unleashed an unstoppable left-footed shot past Kohn.

Monaco, however, continued to press forward, and Adi Hutter’s squad found a glimmer of hope in the 74th minute when Salisu scored with a header from Akliouche's corner.

In the end, the visitors managed to maintain their unbeaten record for the season across all competitions after Maxime Bernauer was adjudged to have fouled Folarin Balogun in the penalty area.

Captain Zakaria confidently converted the resulting penalty kick, securing a point for the visitors.

The evening took a further downturn when Lukas Kacavenda received a second yellow card, leaving Dinamo to finish the match with ten players.