FC Thun's Champions League dream ends in extra time after captain Bürki's red card sparks Dinamo Zagreb comeback

FC Thun came within 14 minutes of the third Champions League qualifying round, only for a red card to flip the tie and end their run 3-2 after extra time at Stadion Maksimir in Zagreb.

Fast start silences the home crowd

The Swiss champions landed two early blows in a 20,000-capacity sold-out stadium that included a few hundred travelling fans. Brighton Labeau tapped in Nassim Zoukit's low cross from close range in the 4th minute. Captain Marco Bürki doubled the lead in the 22nd, heading Fabio Fehr's free kick past the Dinamo goalkeeper. The home side created little of note through the rest of the first half.

Offenbar gibts nach massiven Problemen mit der Bild- und Tonleitung in Zagreb bloss eine einzige Kameraeinstellung, die dem VAR und dem Schiedsrichter zur Verfügung steht.

The moment that turned the match

In the 67th minute, Bürki lost possession just outside his own penalty area and fouled an attacker in a promising position. The referee initially showed a yellow card but upgraded to a straight red after a VAR review, judging the tackle prevented a clear goalscoring opportunity. The same VAR check used a single available camera angle because the broadcast feed from Zagreb was disrupted, leaving Swiss TV viewers briefly without pictures.

Offenbar gibts nach massiven Problemen mit der Bild- und Tonleitung in Zagreb bloss eine einzige Kameraeinstellung, die dem VAR und dem Schiedsrichter zur Verfügung steht.

Zagreb exploits the extra man

Dinamo levelled within 11 minutes. Top scorer Dion Beljo headed in the first goal in the 74th minute, and midfielder Lukas Kacavenda repeated the trick in the 78th, both beating a Thun defence that still had numbers back. The Swiss side held on through the final minutes of regulation to force extra time.

Extra time and the fatal strike

In the 112th minute, left-back Moris Valincic drove through midfield and unleashed a long-range effort that goalkeeper Niklas Steffen could not stop. The goal gave Dinamo a 4-3 aggregate victory and a place in the third qualifying round. Thun's only real effort in extra time was a wide shot from Michael Heule.

Valincic marschiert durchs halbe Mittelfeld und knallt die Kugel dann mit Wucht in die Maschen.

What comes next

Thun drop into the Europa League third qualifying round. Dinamo Zagreb continue their path toward the Champions League group stage.