The “fiery” ones arrived in Zagreb just after midnight, half an hour after the deadline. Despite being exhausted from lack of sleep, they knew it was just another sleepless night in their careers.
The rookie and Dion Drena Beljo arrived by car a few minutes before training began. Although Dalić had included him in the call-up, Dragan Skočić excluded him, arguing that he did not play for the club. But on Saturday evening, Dalić’s call came through, informing Beljo that he was needed for another striker because Budimir was the only one available.
The other players arrived on buses and Mandžukić and Ćorluka were looking for a field to train on. They didn’t want to use the main pitch as the assistant coach Hitrec-Kacian was in bad condition. So, they decided to use Luka Modrić’s field instead.
As soon as they got off the buses, the boys from Lokomotiva jumped on them for photos while children from Dinamo’s open school lined up along the fence to greet them with cheers. The Slavonians lifted spirits with their arrival. Ivica Olić announced that Vida missed his chance to play and went to Hitrec! While Ola joked about punishment for himself.
Dalić acknowledged that they would need to work hard to reach the same quality as their teammates but stated that he would not change the lineup as everyone had performed well in Riga without any injuries or red cards being issued during practice or matches. He even kept Kramarić on the field for 80 minutes despite his recent injury recovery status.
Therefore, Livaković – Stanišić, Šutalo, Erlić, Gvardiol – Modrić, Brozović – Majer, Kramarić, Ivanušec – Budimir should start on Tuesday with great confidence knowing they have match-winners like both Pašalić and Baturina on the bench to give security both for themselves and fans alike.