Match report

Head coach Pavol Staňo fielded virtually the strongest lineup available for the opening clash in Split. A pair of youngsters also earned their place in the starting eleven – Tobiáš Pališčák in defence and František Kóša on the wing. The home side showed no major surprises either, with club icon Marko Livaja starting on the bench.

The opening task was to survive the typical “white” Poljud pressure, and we managed it without major trouble in front of Badžgoň until the 8th minute. Our defenders helped with long recovery runs, as both Bari and Pališčák dealt well with Croatian breaks. Michal Faško had the first attempt of the match in the 4th minute, but his left-footed strike from the edge of the box went wide. Moments later, danger appeared at our end after a cross from an angle, which Narimanidze cleared with a header. We showed our strength in transition in the 9th minute – Faško’s pass sent Timo Hranica through on goal, but he missed the right post with a low effort one-on-one with Silić. That big chance briefly calmed the game, as the hosts struggled with long balls. Another tense moment came in the 16th minute, when Meljnak’s unexpected cross caused problems, but Badžgoň handled the situation at the second attempt. It looked like we had handled both the heat and the intense atmosphere, driven by packed stands, but in the 22nd minute Brajković produced a moment of quality. His shot flew into the top corner, leaving Badžgoň with no chance. We almost got back into the game thanks to the hosts after a misplaced back pass that narrowly missed their own empty net. Hajduk then took control, and a quick central move gave Pajaziti a huge chance, but he failed to hit the open goal after rounding our keeper. In the 34th minute, Šego had a similar opportunity to our earlier chance, but also missed when alone in front of Badžgoň. We needed to regain control and create more in attack, with Kiko Bari standing out thanks to his tireless work both ways. Another Faško attempt in the 38th minute ended similarly to his first. The first half closed with a Hajduk set piece and a sharp save from Badžgoň.

After the break, both teams continued unchanged, and the score initially remained the same after a powerful Šego shot went over. That changed quickly, as Dalisson found too much space in midfield, cut inside and curled a left-footed shot past our defenders to make it two. We struggled to keep possession and relieve the pressure, which led to more attacking threat from the hosts. A triple substitution, bringing on fresh wingers Patrik Iľko and Andrei Florea and replacing Filip Kaša with Ján Minárik in defence, helped us keep the ball better, but did not immediately produce clear chances. The home side did not create much either, but their two-goal lead suited them. Iľko made a strong impact, eventually setting up a big chance for Roginić, whose shot forced a good save from Silić. In the closing stages, we pushed forward in search of a goal, but the crucial one that would bring us back into the tie never came.

The second leg will take place next Thursday under Dubeň, where we will need your support even more as we look to fight our way back into the tie.

Post-match reactions