From Bundesliga struggles to Dynamo delight: Genk must look out for Zagreb’s Dion Beljo | OneFootball

Dynamo Zagreb and Genk face off in the first leg of their Europa League knock-out tie on Thursday evening. the opening encounter between the two sides will take place in Zagreb, and Genk will have to be wary of the side currently leading the Croatian HNL. Nicky Hayen and co will also need to find a way to stop the sides top scorer, Dion Beljo.

Beljo has been one of the signings of the season in European football so far. The 23-year-old returned to Croatian football after time in Germany and Austria, and he has done so with a bang. In just 30 games this season he has scored 17 goals, 12 in the HNL and an impressive four in seven games in the Europa League. It has been a great move for a striker who really struggled to make an impact in the Bundesliga.

Beljo earned a move to Augsburg midway through he 2022/2023 season, having scored nine goals in 19 games for Osljek. This came off the back of an impressive 2021/2022 season out on loan at NK Istra, where he had scored 20 goals in 37 games. However, he struggled to take the step up in Germany. During his first half a season, the forward played 18 games, scoring three times. With the summer ahead to fully adapt to life in Augsburg and the Bundesliga, there were hopes he would push on the following season. However, Beljo managed just two goals in 27 games.

In 2024, it looked like his time in the Bundesliga was up. Augsburg loaned the striker to Rapid Wien in Austria, where he almost immediately made an impact. Clearly the fit was better for Beljo, who scored 19 goals in 49 games for the Viennese side. Clearly, the striker caught the eye of Dynamo Zagreb that year, with the side parting with €4m to bring him back to Croatian football. The move has worked wonders for both player and club.

Dynamo and Beljo now face a Genk side in great form recently as they have begun to turn their season around under Hayen. However, it will be a tough tie for the Belgian’s but one that should produce some entertainment for the neutral.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson