Article by Liviu Manolache, Daniel Grigore – Published on Sunday, 09 November 2025, 10:49 / Updated on Sunday, 09 November 2025 10:54
Victory with Csikszereda, 4-0it was the third match in this championship in which Dinamo did not allow a shot on its own goal. The same happened with Unirea Slobozia (1-0, stage 12) and Metaloglobus (1-0, stage 5).
The convincing success with Csikszereda, the clearest victory in Zeljko Kopic's tenure and since the return of the “dogs” to the first league, lifted Dinamo, at least provisionally, to 3rd place in the Superliga.
Kopic's fortress » Dinamo, TOP in the Superliga in 3 key parameters
The rise of the “dogs” to the podium is behind, except for the goals of Karamoko, Armstrong and Musi, great defensive stability. At this point in the season, Dinamo is the team with the fewest shots on goal, only 140, an average of 7.94 per match.
In the tail of this ranking we even find the opponent of the “dogs” on Saturday, Csikszereda, with 247 shots allowed, i.e. 13.95 every 90 minutes of play.
Rapidfor example, a team praised and appreciated for the way it defends itself in the mandate of Costel Gâlcă, allowed 202 shots, 44% more than Dinamo!
Only 4 shotsallowed Dinamo to own goal in the derbies with FCSB (4-3) and Rapid (0-2). Basically, the opponents made the most of what they had! Rapid's fifth goal was an own goal, and these are not recorded as shots on goal
The silence at the gates defended by Epassy or Roșca is also reflected in the number of defensive duels disputed by the dynamists. On average, Kopic's players have the fewest defensive duels per 90 minutes of play, just 50.16. CFR Cluj (51.63) and FCSB (51.99) follow in this ranking.
Obviously, such defensive consistency is supported – or facilitated – by control of the game. Not for nothing Dinamo has the third average possession in the Superliga, 57.1%, a chapter only surpassed by FCSB (58.1%) and Universitatea Craiova (57.6%). Pep Guardiola's teams are the exponents of the idea of control through possession – they can suffer in transition, but the more time with the ball in possession limits the number of such situations.
The “dogs” really bite: among the most active pressings in the Superliga
Finally, another eloquent parameter for the playing style of the “dogs” is PPDA-ul, a coefficient that calculates the intensity of the teams' pressure. It is basically the number of passes a team allows to the opponent before attempting a defensive action (interception / tackling) and highlights how permissive – or aggressive – her pressure is.
Dinamo is at 9.54, which denotes an active pressing, but not taken to the extreme, which would imply considerable physical consumption.
Oțelul has the lowest PPDA in the championship, 8.49, and only Farul (9.13) and Universitatea Craiova (9.37) are below Dinamo. At the opposite pole, again Csikszereda, with 15.71.
In the Premier League, the lowest average PPDA in the current season is recorded by Bournemouth, a team recognized for the aggressive football they practice, for the way they lie high in wait, waiting to suffocate the opponent. The average PPDA of “Cherries” is at 9.04.
Dinamo received 15 goals in the first 16 stages of this championship. Rapid (12), FC Botoșani (13) and Oțelul (14) are the only teams that took the ball out of their own nets less times.
