Six decades and counting – Celtic v GNK Dinamo Zagreb…
Tonight’s match in Zagreb’s Maksimir Stadion is the latest instalment of a series of contests between the two clubs which stretches back over sixty years, to the earliest days of Celtic’s involvement in European competition. And both sides share the distinction of achieving their greatest continental success within a few weeks of each other.
Back in the autumn of 1962
Back in the autumn of 1962, Jimmy McGrory’s Celts faced defending Inter Cities Fairs Cup holders Valencia in their first-ever European tie. The Spaniards would defeat Celtic then the two other Scottish sides managed by Jock Stein – his current club Dunfermline then Hibernian – before ousting Italian giants Roma to reach another final.
There they would face Dinamo Zagreb, who included Porto and Bayern Munich amongst their conquests that campaign as they became the first side from Yugoslavia to reach a European final. Despite taking an early lead from their captain and star striker Slaven Zambata, Dinamo would lose out, Valencia replying with two of their own in each leg to retain their trophy.
Celtic had knocked 10 past Basel
Those two matches took place in June 1963. The previous month, Zambata’s hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Hajduk Split in Belgrade saw Dinamo win the Yugoslav Cup and qualify for the European Cup-Winners’ Cup. It took a coin toss following a drawn play-off to see them past Austrians LASK but their next opponents would be a Celtic side who had knocked 10 past Basel at the same stage.
A Hoops line-up immortalised in that ‘Fallon, Young and Gemmell…’ song
A Hoops line-up immortalised in that ‘Fallon, Young and Gemmell…’ song got off to a tremendous start in the first leg, played at Celtic Park on Wednesday, 4 December 1963, in the aftermath of the JFK assassination. Steve Chalmers scored twice in the opening 15 minutes and when Yogi Hughes made it 3-0 on the hour mark, McGrory’s men had one foot in the quarter-final.
Seven days later, Celts paid a first visit to Zagreb, a small crowd huddled in the freezing Maksimir seeing Bobby Murdoch remove any lingering doubt with a fourth goal in the tie for the Hoops just before half-time. Dinamo did restore local pride with two second-half strikes, the winner coming from that man Zambata with five minutes remaining.
That vintage year of 1967
The next meeting between the clubs took place in that vintage year of 1967. Vojvodina Novi Sad had pipped Dinamo to win their first Yugoslav title in 1966, and when they were drawn to face Celtic in the last eight of the European Cup in March after eliminating Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, Jock Stein invited Dinamo to play a challenge game a few weeks before the crucial tie.
The wily Stein trying out a 3-4-3 formation
That match is famous for the wily Stein trying out a 3-4-3 formation, with the players numbered 1-11 accordingly.
In front of Ronnie Simpson was a back three consisting Davie Cattanach, Billy McNeill and John Clark, whilst wing-backs Tommy Gemmell and John Hughes lined up either side of the midfield duo of Bobby Murdoch and Bertie Auld. Up front, a trio of Willie Wallace, Steve Chalmers and Bobby Lennox threatened the Zagreb goal.
Despite a decent display by the Celts, a series of missed gilt-edged chances kept the game scoreless before a late winner from – guess who, Zambata – earned the Yugoslavs the win.
They would join countrymen Vojvodina as one of only three teams to beat all-conquering Celtic that season, Jerry Kerr’s Dundee United being the other, but Billy McNeills’s dramatic last-gasp header saw the green-clad Bhoys earn a last-four tie with Dukla Prague, who just happen to be the first-ever European opponent of Dinamo Zagreb, back in the European Cup of 1958.
Celtic of course would triumph in Lisbon in May 1967, well later that summer Dinamo joined the Hoops and Bayern Munich as the third European trophy winner that campaign. A 2-0 win in the Maksimir followed by a goalless draw at Elland Road in the two-legged final saw the Yugoslavs beat Leeds United to win the Inter Cities Fairs Cup. And no for once Zambata didn’t score!
Three decades would pass before the sides clashed again, this time as respective champions of Scotland and an independent Croatia in August 1998 in a Champions League Play-off. A Darren Jackson goal early in the second half at Celtic Park gave the 51,000 crowd some hope for the second leg, but that narrow lead had been overturned by the interval at the Maksimir, the superb Robert Posenecki dominating proceedings for the now named Croatia Zagreb as they built a 2-0 lead.
The international midfielder added a third goal to his first-half penalty to pile on the pressure to a club simmering with internal feuds and prevent access to the glory and riches of the Champions League for yet another season. Australian/Croatian Marko Viduka did enough in these ties to impress head coach Jo Venglos and earn a transfer to Celtic that autumn.
The most recent meeting of the clubs took place in the Europa League Group Stage of 2014/15. An early Kris Commons strike saw the three points remain in Glasgow in October 2014, preserving Celtic’s perfect home record against Dinamo in competitive matches. Jozo Simunovic played in that match and would become another to later make the move between the two clubs.
Commons scored again in the return fixture, played in the Maksimir this week in 2015, and a second from Stefan Skepovic had Ronny Delia’s already-qualified Celts 2-1 ahead at one stage before a Marko Pjaca hat-trick and a late own goal saw the Croats through by the odd goal in seven.
So all six competitive ties between the sides have gone with home advantage so far.
Fingers crossed that Celtic can finally break that sequence tonight.
Hail, Hail!
Matt Corr
Follow Matt on X/Twitter @Boola_vogue
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