FC Dinamo City 3-2 Egnatia: Five-Goal Thriller Sends Dinamo into Albanian Cup Semi-Finals

FC Dinamo City produced a thrilling performance on 14 May 2026, edging past Egnatia 3-2 in a pulsating Albanian Cup quarter-final clash at the Air Albania Stadium. The victory secured Dinamo's place in the last four and kept alive their hopes of silverware in a season that has already seen them challenge for the league title.

Early Fireworks

The match exploded into life inside the opening five minutes. Dinamo City took the lead through a close-range finish from striker Kristal Abazaj, but Egnatia responded almost immediately when Regi Lushkja drilled home an equaliser from the edge of the box. The frenetic pace continued, and by the 20-minute mark, the hosts were back in front. Captain Ergys Kaçe curled a beautiful free kick over the wall and into the top corner to make it 2-1.

Second-Half Drama

Egnatia refused to wilt and levelled the scores again in the 55th minute. A long throw-in caused chaos in the Dinamo box, and defender Ardit Peposhi stabbed the ball home from a yard out. The tie was now finely poised, but Dinamo showed their resilience. The winning goal arrived in the 78th minute when substitute Dorian Kërçiku latched onto a through ball, rounded the goalkeeper, and slotted into an empty net.

Egnatia pushed hard for a third equaliser in the closing stages, but Dinamo goalkeeper Edvan Bakaj produced a stunning save to deny a powerful header from Mario Gjata, securing the win.

Cup Aspirations

For Dinamo City, this cup run represents a golden opportunity to add to their trophy cabinet. The club has not won the Albanian Cup since 2019 and sees this competition as a legitimate route to European football. Manager Ilir Daja praised his team's fighting spirit: "We showed great character. Egnatia are a tough side, but we believed we could win this tie. We are now two steps away from glory."

Match Statistics

• Possession: Dinamo City 51% – 49% Egnatia
• Shots on target: Dinamo 5 – 4 Egnatia
• Corners: 6–3 in favour of Dinamo
• Yellow cards: 3 (Dinamo) – 4 (Egnatia)

Dinamo City will discover their semi-final opponents in the coming days. Should they continue to display the same determination and attacking verve, they will be a serious threat to any opposition. Egnatia, meanwhile, can hold their heads high after a spirited performance, but they must now shift focus back to their Kategoria Superiore campaign.