After a cagey opening 20 minutes that gave no indication of the mayhem to come, NEC drew first blood when Tobias Storm found enough space on the right flank to pass across the area, allowing Red Bull Salzburg loanee Clement Bischoff to roll in at the far post.

But far from dwelling on their first Europa League goal conceded this term, Dinamo Zagreb hit back within eight minutes, when an exchange of passes between Luka Stojkovic and Matteo Pérez Vinlof saw the latter burst down the left flank and cross to the far post for Dion Drena Beljo to head down and in.

That made it 16 goals in as many games this campaign for the Dinamo number nine, but barely a minute after Luka Ivanusec saw a goal ruled out, Beljo had goal number 17 in the books. Not for the first time tonight, NEC’s defending was of the kamikaze variety, when Stojkovic broke through on the angle and easily found Beljo, who tapped in at the second attempt after seeing his initial shot saved.

But there was a sting in the tail when NEC equalised out of nowhere on 44’, as Bischoff crossed back from the dead ball line for the criminally under-marked Bryan Linssen to head in at the near post.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that boosted NEC into starting the second half much more strongly than their shellshocked hosts. In turn, they retook the lead when Darko Nejasmic played Linssen through, and he saw a weak shot trickle past Dominik Kotarski’s mistimed lunge.

As the final 20 minutes loomed, Dinamo had little choice but to go for it, and a double save at the near post from Gonzalo Crettaz saw Josip Mišić and Mislav Oršić left frustrated. Having scored four of his previous five competitive goals of 2026/27 on hostile turf, substitute

Tjaronn CheryTjaronn Chery was a prime candidate to show them how it’s done, and not long after Dinamo’s failure to level, he did so with aplomb to seal the victory, firing into the far corner of the net from range at the end of a dropping ball.

At 4-2, there was no way back, and the Croatian champions will need to get their act together for their looming trip to Sunderland on 5 November, following a fourth loss in five Europa League proper home games.

As for NEC, who won their first European main-draw game since December 2008, their next European test looks easier on paper, with a home clash against Omonia seemingly offering NEC – who won for just the second time in 14 European jaunts – a good opportunity to post successive victories in UEFA-held games.