"Approaching the Greek capital, Athens, home to the beautiful Aegean Sea."
The voice from the broadcast filled the train carriage, yet inside it was completely silent.
Though a week had passed, the memories of their last encounter here were still vivid.
Those hateful shouts.
Those terrifying threats that made their hairs stand on end.
Those moments of tension and chaos.
In that terrifying match atmosphere, they had ultimately lost.
Because of that, when the young men of Dinamo Zagreb returned here again, their faces were filled with tension.
"Relax!" Suker patted Duimović's stiff body with a smile, "This time it's our home ground!"
Duimović gave a wry smile.
Led by the head coach, they walked out of the train station.
As soon as they reached the exit, a dense crowd of people appeared ahead.
Huge flags started rising, being vigorously waved left and right.
Tens of thousands of fans exploded into loud cheers.
Duimović's body stiffened again.
But this time, he quickly recovered.
"Don't be afraid! We're here!!"
"Suker!! Suker!! Suker!!"
"Let's show those Serbs what's what!"
Flags flapped wildly in the air.
The fans' passionate cheers filled the entire space.
Under these powerful voices, Duimović and the others' eyes sparked with fighting spirit.
This time it's all their people!
On the way to the hotel, the bus was followed spontaneously by these fans.
They drove alongside the bus, constantly making gestures and shouting slogans to cheer them on.
They kept spreading the belief in victory.
And repeatedly building their confidence!
Suker could feel the temperature inside the bus rise significantly, some players breathing faster.
This time it's their home!
They no longer have to put up with that nonsense.
Here, everyone is on their side!
"This isn't Maksimir, but we're going to make this the hottest home ground!"
"What are you waiting for?!!"
The dome speakers broadcasted the fierce roar of Kraušević.
This veteran Croatian commentator was known for calmness.
But this time, he didn't hold back.
Last week, they bullied our kids here — this time, they're here to take back the territory.
Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww——
The venue was ignited by intense cheers.
On the south stand, first a red glow slowly rose, accompanied by smoke; red cold fireworks gently spread out.
In an instant, the entire stadium was dyed red.
The blue and white stadium was instantly painted with the color of rage!
With each shout rising high and fierce, the stadium resembled the gates of hell.
Commentator Kraušević abandoned his usual calm demeanor, his tone full of fury.
Every sentence he spoke was met with fierce roars from the fans.
"Croatian boys!!!!——"
"Embrace victory!!!——"
With each shout, the stadium trembled.
The players of Red Star Belgrade were clearly intimidated.
They stared blankly at the roaring Croatians, unwilling to meet their gaze.
Seeing the posture of Red Star's players only made the fans more excited.
Kraušević shouted with all his might:
"This is the Nikolaidis Stadium in Athens, but now it's called—" This update is available on noveⅼfire.net
The tens of thousands of Dinamo Zagreb fans shouted back at the top of their lungs:
Through the smoke, the faces of Dinamo Zagreb fans were fierce.
They looked like demons from hell, ready to devour the Red Star players alive.
You bullied our kids!
Now, we'll bully you the same way!
Suk and the others stared stunned at the scene.
They had never seen Dinamo Zagreb fans so passionate and furious.
Perhaps this Balkan derby had ignited the fury.
Or perhaps the frustration of last week's match had built up.
Now, they were using their loudest voices to cheer on their young warriors.
Suk felt a dry mouth, licking his parched lips.
"Is there a better home ground than this?"
The teammates around him were deeply shocked as well.
The firelight illuminated their faces flushed with red.
With the temperature rising, the entire stadium's hearts began to race.
After warming up, they returned to the locker room.
Bešić looked at everyone and said:
"They've created the best home ground; now we must give our best performance to repay the fans."
"Don't be affected by last match, our attack power is unmatched. Believe in yourself, believe in your teammates, believe in the team!"
Bešić stretched out his hand, and everyone immediately gathered around.
They stood in a circle, stacking their palms together.
Bešić took a deep breath and shouted loudly:
Everyone roared and then turned to leave the locker room.
When they reached the tunnel, the Red Star Belgrade players were already there.
Immediately, the atmosphere thickened with tension.
For Suk and the others, this time it's their home ground.
They want to win this match here.
The second round of the Champions League qualifiers is not the end.
Their journey is far from over.
Dinamo Zagreb (4-2-3-1):Goalkeeper: GrestečićDefenders: Pranjić, Jarny, Štimac, SrnaMidfielders: Valjević, Vukojević, Modrić, Duimović, SukerForward: Mandžukić
Red Star Belgrade (4-3-3):Goalkeeper: RanđelovićDefenders: Luković, Savić, Srnjačić, MarkovićMidfielders: Stančić, Janković, MelenićForwards: Pantelić, Džikić, Bogavač
Modrić flicked the ball past Janković and sent it to the right wing. Valjević tried to break through, but Red Star's fullback Luković didn't give him a chance. The ball returned to Modrić, who hesitated — should he pass? A beautiful flick, he dribbled past, and then fired a long-range shot!! Ah~~~~ The goalkeeper managed to parry it away!
"That shot came out of nowhere, but the keeper still reacted well!"
"Right from the start, Dinamo Zagreb have been threatening the opponent's goal thanks to Modrić's playmaking!"
"The only pity is that their most dangerous attacker, Suker, has run into some trouble."
All eyes turned toward Suerk.
At this moment, Suker was clapping at midfield.
Beside him was Red Star's midfielder Melenić.
From the whistle's blow, Melenić stuck to Suker like glue.
Wherever Suker ran, Melenić's eyes never left him.
Whether in attack or defense, he just followed Suk.
For a full 20 minutes, Suker was tightly marked by him and couldn't shake him off.
"You following me won't work. I'm not the main attacker this match."
Suker looked at Melenić.
Melenić turned his head, not even bothering to reply.
Suker ran to the wing, Melenić followed step by step.
Suker pressed forward to the fullback position; Melenić still on his tail.
Suker spun around and ran toward his own half.
He crossed the halfway line — and the guy was still on him.
"Are you crazy?!" Suker snapped, "I'm already in my own half, and you're still following? Don't you have to defend?"
He pointed ahead, where Modrić was orchestrating midfield.
"Why are you always sticking to me?!"
"The coach told me to mark you," Melenić finally spoke.
Suker rolled his eyes. "I'm back in our half, you still mark me?"
Melenić: "The coach's exact words were: 'If he runs into the goal line, you run with him!'"
This was extreme man-marking.
Suker was annoyed: "Like sticking to me, huh? Let's see how long you last!"
With that, Suker started sprinting forward.
Seeing Suk accelerate, Melenić quickly followed.
Although slower, he wasn't afraid — he had teammates ahead.
Suker rushed near the opponent's penalty box.
Modrić sent a pass to the wing, but it was intercepted and a counterattack started.
Suker immediately turned and sprinted back to his half.
He quickly caught up to winger Pantelić.
"Pranjić, go on him!"
Pranjić heard him and immediately stepped forward.
The two tackled Pantelić down and reclaimed possession.
Suker then sprinted forward again.
Melenić just caught up when he saw Suker turn and dash back toward their half.
He gritted his teeth and followed once more.
However, this time his steps weren't so nimble.
"It's not easy to mark Suker!"
Assistant coach Klemen watched Melenić chasing back and forth three times and smiled:
"You need the stamina to keep up!"
Suker's stamina was like a mule.
With abundant energy and recovery boosts, how could the other guy keep up?
Suker was determined.
Like sticking to me? Extreme man-marking? I'll run you to death!