May 24, 2023 - Hajduk beat Sibenik 2-0 at Rujevica Stadium on Wednesday in the Croatian Cup final! It's the first time the Split club has celebrated the Croatian Cup trophy back to back. 

We're in the final week of the SuperSport HNL season week, and with that, we get to see who will celebrate the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup ahead of the 36th round played this weekend. Hajduk and Šibenik met in the final from 19:00 at Rujevica in Rijeka. Interestingly, the two teams also meet in the final round of the league on Sunday. Hajduk has already clinched second place, while Šibenik has been relegated from first league football.

Hajduk was the big favorite and has also been in great form. They haven't conceded a goal in six games, nor have they lost. The Cup final was also unique for Hajduk. It was the first time in eighteen years that Hajduk had the opportunity to win the trophy two seasons in a row. 

Hajduk had loud support from the stands. Most of the east stand was filled with fans from Split, while the north stand was reserved for Šibenik fans who bought only a few hundred tickets for the final. Rujevica was thus not sold out, and around 6,500 fans were in attendance. 

Regarding the lineups for each team, Hajduk was without Mikanović, Lovrencsics, and Kalik, while Šibenik could not count on Điro and Radonjić due to injuries.

Lineups

Hajduk: Lučić - Sigur, Awaziem, Ferro, Melnjak - Pukštas, Krovinović - Sahiti, Benrahou, Mlakar - Livaja

Šibenik: Đaković - Kvržić, Perić, Kvesić, Mina - Đorić, Soldo - Arai, Hiroš, Dolček - Špeljak 

Match report

Hajduk found the back of the net in the 4th minute, but Mlakar's goal was disallowed after VAR. Hajduk completely dominated Sibenik so far at Rujevica.

Hajduk continued to dominate, but they didn't have any great opportunities in the next 20 minutes. On the other hand, Šibenik, now in the second division, held their own at Rujevica.

Hajduk had two great chances in the 39th minute. Mlakar was one on one with the keeper, who brilliantly saved before the ball went out for a corner. Livaja just missed the goal off the corner. 

A minute of stoppage time was played, and the first half ended 0-0. 

Hajduk put on the pressure in the first few minutes of the second half, but Melnjak missed an open goal. 

Hajduk had their 8th corner in the 56th minute, and Livaja headed to the right of the goal. Sibenik had 0 corners at this point. 

And then it happened. Benrahou shot into Šibenik's defense. After the rebound, the ball reached Melnjak, who scored for Hajduk and the 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute! 

Sibenik held their own to not concede another goal, but Hajduk's defense remained solid and tried to get their second.  

Four minutes of stoppage time were added. 

And Hajduk was awarded a penalty in the final minutes off a Pukstas foul in the box! Livaja scored for 2-0! 

The match ended 2-0 for Hajduk, winning the Croatian Cup trophy for the second consecutive time!  

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

April 30, 2023 - With a 0-0 draw against Hajduk at Poljud, Dinamo becomes the 2022/23 Croatian football champion, defending the title four rounds before the end of the 2022/23 SuperSport HNL season. 

Dinamo currently has 71 points, 12 more than the second-placed Hajduk, who cannot theoretically reach Dinamo this season. Dinamo has thus secured their sixth consecutive and 24th overall national championship title.

A draw at Poljud was enough for Dinamo to become the Croatian champion once again. Dinamo maintained a 12-point advantage over second-placed Hajduk four rounds before the end, and since they have a better head-to-head this season, it is unattainable for Hajduk to catch them. 

Two of the best Croatian clubs played an even game at a packed Poljud, though both teams were left without a serious chance to score.

The biggest excitement happened in the 23rd minute when Melnjak snatched the ball from Špikić about 30 meters from Dinamo's goal and then brilliantly played past Mlakar, who was at the top of the penalty area. Mlakar beat Livaković with an excellent shot into the back of the net, putting Poljud into a trance. However, the ref took his time and decided to consult VAR, which ultimately ruled the goal offside, and the game stayed 0-0. 

Hajduk had more chances in the second half and was hungrier, while Dinamo was happy to play for a draw, knowing it would bring them the title. Hajduk had 47% possession compared to Dinamo's 53%, both teams had only one shot on target, with 5 total attempts for Hajduk and 8 for Dinamo. 

Dinamo thus secured the Croatian Championship title with 71 points. Hajduk is safe in second place with 59 points, given that they have 14 points more than Osijek in third and 15 more than Rijeka in fourth. 

The 32nd round still features Rijeka-Slaven Belupo and Lokomotiva-Gorica, who will play tomorrow. On Saturday, Istra beat Sibenik 3-0 and Osijek beat Varazdin 3-1. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 24, 2023 - Hajduk Juniors failed to take home the UEFA Youth League title after losing to AZ Alkmaar in the final (5-0). 

It was a historic final for both teams. After beating AC Milan (3-1), Hajduk became the first Croatian club in history to reach the final of any UEFA club competition in any category. The Fair Cities Cup, won by Dinamo in 1967, was not a UEFA competition then. AZ also became the first Dutch team to play in the final of this competition. In the semi-final, they eliminated Sporting Lisbon on penalties.

Hajduk's juniors had incredible support from the stands. Over 10,000 fans occupied Geneva since morning, and the club's famous songs could be heard throughout the city.

Hajduk had a difficult journey on the way to this historic success. They kicked out Gabala and Apollonia without much difficulty before meeting European giants. Hajduk beat Shakhtar and Manchester City at Poljud and Borussia Dortmund away.

AZ Alkmaar also knocked out big teams on the way to the final, beating Eintracht Frankfurt (5-0), Barcelona (3-0), and Real Madrid (4-0).

The final tournament was initially supposed to be played in Nyon, Switzerland, but due to the great interest of the fans, UEFA moved it to Geneva and a stadium with 30,000 seats.

Lineups

Hajduk: Buljan, Š. Hrgović, Vušković, Jurić-Petrašilo, Đolonga, Capan, Kavelj, Vrcić, Pukštas, Brajković, Antunović

AZ Alkmaar: Owusu-Oduro, Goes, Beukers, Mastoras, Addai, Kwakman, Schouten, Smit, de Jong, Poku, Daal

Match report

Buljan had to make his first save in the 2nd minute, and Hajduk played nervously in the first five minutes when they finally had their first corner. 

Hrgovic shot from 20 meters at the AZ keeper a few minutes later.

Buljan had to make another save in the 16th minute, and AZ had three attempts on target compared to Hajduk's one at this point in the match. By the 20th minute, AZ showed much more. They play maturely, organized, and controlled the game. Hajduk concentrated on defense and relied on counters. 

Another dangerous attempt by AZ in the 30th minute saw Buljan make another flying save to keep the result 0-0. And another close call just three minutes later. 

In the 44th minute, an unnecessary foul by Vuskovic in the penalty area resulted in a penalty for AZ and the 1-0 lead just before halftime. 

The second half started. Meerdink entered instead of Daal, while Hajduk made no changes.

Kavelj received a yellow card in the 50th and Hajduk had a great chance in the 54th minute. Vrcić broke through on the right side and played in the middle, but Pukštas couldn't get a shot off. 

AZ completely controlled the match and Hajduk waited for a counterattack. But that plan failed. Hajduk was down 3-0 by the 76th minute. And 4-0 by the 79th. 

The Hajduk juniors entered the final with high expectations, but the Dutch club was superior for the entirety of the match. In the end, they deservedly celebrated. Even though the final ended 5-0, this historic success is worth celebrating, and Hajduk's young side will be welcomed in Split at 6 pm. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 21, 2023 - The Hajduk Juniors side made Croatian football history tonight, beating AC Milan 3-1 in the UEFA Youth League semi-final! The young Hajduk side will play in the final on Monday against AZ Alkmaar. 

Hajduk was the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Champions League and the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition since Hajduk's seniors played in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1983/1984 season. Tonight, they continued to write history. 

On their way to the UEFA Youth League finals, Hajduk knocked out football giants including Shakhtar, Manchester City, and Borussia Dortmund.

The UEFA Youth League finals are usually played at the Colovray Sports Center in Nyon, the headquarters of UEFA. This year, due to the extremely high interest of the participating clubs, the games were held at the FC Servette stadium in Geneva.

Earlier today, AZ Alkmaar beat Sporting Lisbon on penalties for a spot in the final. 

Lineups

Hajduk: Buljan, Đolonga, Jurić-Petrašilo, Vušković, Š. Hrgović, Pukštas, Kavelj, Skoko, Vrcić, Antunović, Brajković

Milan: Nava, Bozzolan, Nsiala-Makengo, Coubis, Casali, Stalmach, Eletu, Zeroli, Cuenca, El Hilali, Sia

Match report

Both sides played cautiously for the first 15 or so minutes, though Hajduk had better chances. Vrcic just missed a great ball in the box from Pukstas in the 18th minute. Milan finally showed up in the 38th minute and began pressing Hajduk's defense, but Hajduk reacted well with counterattacks. The first half ended 0-0. 

Everything changed in the second half. A quick goal from Vrcic in the 51st minute put Hajduk ahead, followed by a stunning header into the goal by Pukstas in the 69th. Hrgovic made it 3-0 for the Split club just 7 minutes later! 

While the winner was all but confirmed at this point, Milan did find the back of the next in the 83rd minute, and Hajduk goalkeeper Buljan had to make some stellar saves to make sure that didn't happen again. 

With five minutes of stoppage time added, Milan had no luck, and Hajduk advanced to their historic UEFA Youth League final on Monday!  

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 20, 2023 - The Hajduk Juniors will play in the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League final tournament on Friday, April 21, against the young AC Milan side. 

All matches are played at Servette FC stadium in Geneva. Sporting and AZ Alkmaar will play in the first semi-final match, while Hajduk will meet Milan in the second on Friday at 6 pm. 

The Hajduk U19s qualified for the 'Youth Champions League' semi-finals after defeating Borussia Dortmund on penalties at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Milan advanced to the semis with a 2-0 victory against Atletico Madrid.

The young Hajduk side trained at Poljud until Wednesday when UEFA's production team arrived to film a short documentary about their journey to the semi-finals and the Split club itself.

"They will follow the young Hajduk players and their activities from the last training session at Poljud stadium until the departure and landing in Switzerland, where on Friday, they will have the support of over 3,500 fans who have bought tickets for the Hajduk sector," said Index.hr earlier this week. 

Hajduk coach Marijan Budimir took 24 players to compete in the final tournament: Ivan Bosančić, Borna Buljan, Davyd Fesyuk, Niko Đolonga, Mateo Jurić-Petrašilo, Luka Vušković, Boško Jemo, Marko Capan, Mate Antunović, Jere Vrcić, Roko Brajković, Šimun Hrgović, Noa Skoko, Rokas Pukštas, Domagoj Begonja, Tomislav Arković, Duje Reić, Nino Duić, Krešimir Nazor, Niko Pavić, Marin Ćalušić, Mark Hrvojević, Frane Bobanović and Ante Kavelj.

Šimun Hrgović will try to continue a series of excellent games in this elite European competition.

"Our first goal is to get to the final. I have played all the previous Youth Champions League matches, and now we have reached the semi-finals, and we are proud of that. Of course, Milan is a respectable opponent, but we want to finish this," said the young Hajduk player.

Hajduk's assistant coach Zvonimir Milić pointed out that it is an exceptional honor to represent one's club, city, and country on the big stage.

"In two seasons of the Youth Champions League, we played 12 games and were never defeated in 90 minutes. All the players are available this time, which we are thrilled and grateful for, and the fact that many fans will be cheering us on in Geneva gives us special satisfaction," said Milić.

Hajduk is the first Croatian club to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Champions League and the first from Croatia to reach the semi-finals of any UEFA competition since Hajduk's seniors played in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1983/1984 season. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 12, 2022 - Valdas Dambrauskas is no longer the coach of the HNK Hajduk. 

As of today, Valdas Dambrauskas is no longer the coach of the HNK Hajduk first team. Mutual termination of cooperation was agreed upon. As a result, his assistants Marius Skinderis and Justinas Gasiunas are leaving with him, announced Hajduk. 

In the coming period, the team will be led by coach Mislav Karoglan, who, as an assistant coach, participated in the work of the past two professional coaching staff. The Club will inform the public about his assistants.

Coach Dambrauskas took over the first team on November 2, 2021, and Hajduk played 38 official matches under his leadership, achieving 23 wins, eight draws, and seven losses. In total, he recorded 60.5% of victories, and if we look exclusively at league games, he won 71.1% of points. In his debut match, he won against Hrvatski Dragovoljac at Poljud 2:0, and his most significant victory was achieved recently in the championship match against Slaven Belupo, which Hajduk won 5:1.

He will be remembered as the coach who brought the first trophy to Poljud after nine years, defeating Rijeka in the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup final. Until the end of last season, his team fought for both national trophies. The last time he led the team was in Šubićevac, where Hajduk drew 1:1 against Šibenik.

"We would like to thank coach Dambrauskas from the bottom of our hearts for the cooperation so far, and especially for the passion, knowledge, and energy shown by leading Hajduk, and we wish him the best of luck and success in the continuation of his coaching career," said Hajduk. 

Hajduk President Lukša Jakobušić publicly thanked the former coach and explained the reasons for this decision:

"Valdas Dambrauskas is no longer the coach of the first team, and in the coming period, the first team will be led by his former assistant Mislav Karoglan. Since his arrival, Valdas has brought energy and passion to the Club, and he subordinated his knowledge to Hajduk and created the atmosphere, and thus the game and the result. After a long time, Hajduk fought for trophies in the Cup and the championship. In the end, he succeeded. True, we finished in second place in the championship, but we won the Cup at Poljud. We all know what that means, and we've seen what it means to him. It is almost unimaginable for us that someone who was not born in this climate assimilates and connects with the Club in this way. Unfortunately, the atmosphere and energy we had at the end of last season did not translate into this season, and we were unable to follow the atmosphere and energy we have around the Club with performances and results on the pitch. 

Most of the public knows what kind of relationship the sports director and I have with the coach. A relationship full of sincerity and respect. That alone made this decision more difficult for us. All three of us have always been guided by the Club's interests, and this decision should be seen in that context.

The public has created an image that second place is a reality for us this season. Maybe that is true, but we will not and cannot be satisfied with that. Second place has yet to be won, and the Club must strive for the highest goals. I repeat, this decision should be viewed in that context because ours is not only to solve but also to anticipate problems.

I wish Valdas Dambrauskas all the luck in life, with the statistics that are almost impossible, the trophy he brought after many years, and his positive attitude, he showed that he loves this Club. Hajduk's doors are always open to him."

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 28, 2022 - In the afternoon on Sunday, there was a standstill on the A1 motorway, and several kilometres long queues were formed due to an incident with Hajduk fans who stopped on the motorway and got out of their vehicles masked.

As Dnevnik writes, the police prevented a clash between the fans, but the traffic problems continued even after that. Although Croatian Auto Club (HAK) announced around 4:00 p.m. that the part of the motorway in question was reopened to traffic, readers of Dnevnik reported around 5:00 p.m. that they were still standing in place and not moving.

24sata video

“It's a kilometer-long queue. We're not even moving forward. People with small children started getting out of their cars”, a Dnevnik reader reported.

The police department of the Lika-SenjCounty explained that a long queue has formed and that it took time for traffic to start again.

“It's going slowly, the column is almost not moving towards the north. The police are on the ground and they are solving the situation so that traffic can start as soon as possible”, they said.

The Croatian Auto Club announced earlier on Sunday that traffic was stopped between the Gospić and Gornja Ploča junctions near the Jadova rest stop in the direction of Zagreb due to an incident with fans, and the queue was nine kilometres long.

?4? Policija je poduzela mjere i radnje razdvajanja pravaca kretanja navijača:
✔️spriječen sukob navijača
✔️bez postupanja policije
✔️bez uporabe sredstava prisile - izdane naredbe
✔️uspostavljeno odvijanje prometa koji je bio u prekidu do 15:55 h
✔️uz cestu pronađene palice https://t.co/8QeeVDOCua pic.twitter.com/pMExy6LnLX

— MUP-RH (@mup_rh) August 28, 2022

Twitter: Ministry of the Interior

Police found baseball bats by the side of the road

As reported by PD Lika-Senj, there was no conflict between the fans who are now under police surveillance.

The Ministry of the Interior published photos from the motorway on Twitter and information that traffic was stopped by Hajduk fans traveling to Zagreb and Osijek, who got out of their vehicles masked with helmets and clothes. They added that the possible cause was a conflict with Dinamo fans traveling to Šibenik.

The police also announced that they found baseball bats on the side of the road, but they emphasised that the conflict between the fans was prevented without police intervention and the use of coercive means.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

August 25, 2022 - Hajduk has dropped out of the UEFA Europa Conference League on a 2-6 aggregate to Villarreal. The Split club lost 0:2 at Poljud on Thursday night. 

Hajduk and Villarreal met in the second leg of the Conference League play-off at a sold-out Poljud stadium on Thursday. In the first match, Villarreal won 4:2 in Valencia, meaning Hajduk needed to score three goals to have a chance. 

Villarreal is one of the best European teams and was certainly the favorite to move ahead. The Spanish club is last year's Champions League semi-finalist, and Europa League champions the season before that, knocking out Dinamo Zagreb on their way to the title.

Hajduk had met Spanish clubs five times so far in European competitions but failed to move past them. 

"It will be a difficult test because Villarreal likes to control the game and have possession of the ball. We have to be patient and focused for the whole 90 minutes and pay attention to small details," Hajduk coach Valdas Dambrauskas said before the match. 

"In that beautiful stadium, we expect a good atmosphere in which we will try to manage the match," said Villarreal coach Unai Emery. 

Lineups

HAJDUK: Kalinić - Mikanović, Awaziem, Elez, Melnjak - Grgić, Fossati - Sahiti, Krovinović, Biuk - Livaja

VILLARREAL: Reina - Kiko, Mandi, Cuenca, Pedraza - Chukwueze, Parejo, Coquelin, Baena - Lo Celso, Nicolas

Match report

Villarreal had their first attack in the 2nd minute, which went out for a goal kick. Melnjak played a hospital ball to a Villarreal player at the top of the box. Kalinic luckily saved the shot, but Hajduk fouled in the next play. A free-kick awarded to Villarreal found the head of Baena, who went over the post. 

It was a shaky first five minutes for Hajduk, who was playing nervously. 

A quick counter which started from Awaziem found Sahiti on the right and went out for Hajduk's first corner. The ball was played out by the Villarreal defense and sent back in by Sahiti, who found Livaja's head. Marko just missed near post. 

Another attack for Hajduk came in the 10th minute and Fossati managed to get a shot off which was blocked. 

Another shaky instance in the Hajduk defense came a minute later and was luckily cleared by Melnjak. 

Another brilliant attack by Hajduk in the 14th minute saw Livaja get a shot off which was deflected out for a corner. Krovinovic found Livaja again, whose one-touch shot went over the goal.  

Sahiti dribbled through the Villarreal defense in the next play and shot at the keeper. Livaja tried lobbing the keeper from the halfway line in the 16th minute.  And he hit another rocket that went just wide of the far post in the next play. 

Mikanovic was shown a yellow card in the 19th minute. 

Villarreal tried a quick counter in the 22nd minute but shot straight at Kalinic. Hajduk countered back and Biuk got a shot off which was deflected to Reina. 

Hajduk was hungry and had another corner in the 25th minute, followed by another after that. 

Villarreal started to possess the ball and tried to move into the box. Nicolas' fancy footwork couldn't move past Hajduk's defense. 

A Hajduk free kick in the 30th minute was played short to Biuk on the left. The young midfielder cut into the middle and fell for a foul, but the ref said to play on. Hajduk's next attack was called offside. 

A dangerous free kick for Villarreal in the 34th minute was taken in front of the corner spot. Luckily the ball went straight to Kalinic. 

But just a few minutes later, Pedraza had his chance, playing around Hajduk's defense with no one in the block. He shot far post into Kalinic's goal for 0:1 Villarreal. Hajduk's hope had dwindled. 

A Livaja free kick in the 41st minute was taken from about 30 meters out and went just wide of the post. The first half ended 0:1 for Villarreal. 

Villarreal made one sub to start the second half - Capoue went on for Coquelin. Hajduk did not make any changes. 

A dangerous chance for Villarreal came in the 47th minute, which was blocked by the Hajduk defense. A standout save by Kalinic in the 51st minute stopped Villarreal from going ahead by two goals. 

Another attack for Villarreal in the next minute went out for a corner. Hajduk managed to clear any dangerous plays and tried to calmly move the ball into Villarreal's half but could not get a shot off. 

In the next attack, Chukwueze's shot slipped through Kalinic's hands and into the goal for 0:2 Villarreal. Hajduk would now need 4 goals to bring the match to extra time. 

Villarreal made substitutions in the 58th minute - Moreno came on for Jackson and Morales for Lo Celso. 

Hajduk made their first subs in the 59th minute - Lovrencsics came on for Mikanovic and Mlakar for Sahiti. 

Fossati was subbed off for Vukovic in the 65th minute.  

Mlakar had a great chance to score a minute later but just missed the far post. 

Krovinovic was fouled right on the corner of the box in the 71st minute. The same player took the free kick, which went out for a goal kick. 

Hajduk had a free kick and a corner in the 75th minute without a chance for a goal. 

Pau Torres came on for Pedraza and Foyth for Kiko in the 79th minute. Colina came on for Melnjak and Simic for Elez in the same minute. 

There were no dangerous chances for either team in the final 10 minutes. The ref added 3 minutes of stoppage time, in which no one scored.

Hajduk has thus dropped out of the UEFA Europa Conference League. 

Post-match comments 

Villarreal coach Unai Emery

"We played against a team that is good today but also has a rich past. The atmosphere created by the fans was special, and we enjoyed it. I'm sorry when a team like Hajduk is left out of the European competition. With this kind of atmosphere and fans, it deserves to be in the European competition. I have to repeat that in the first game, we made several mistakes, and now we managed to improve some things that we did in the first game at a lower level. This is Europe; we have to be concentrated and satisfied with this kind of game."

Hajduk coach Valdas Dambrauskas

"I can't fault the players. We were ready and better than in the first game. The difference in class between us and Villarreal is too big, especially in two games. We turn to Osijek, which for us as the final, will not be easy, but we have to focus. We showed a level we can be proud of, but we have to improve," said Dambrauskas.

"A big thank you to the fans for their support during and after the match. It's a big responsibility. I'm not afraid to say it, and I know it sounds like a cliché, but we really have the best fans in Europe. We really do. Someone compares us to Napoli and Marseille, but we are not even the first in Croatia, we do not play in the European League nor the Conference League, and we have such support. The players and we are very proud to have this kind of support."

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August 18, 2022 - Villarreal dominates in the Conference League play-off first leg, beating Hajduk 4:2 in Spain. 

Villarreal and Hajduk met on Thursday in Valencia, Spain, for a spot in the Conference League group stage. 

Hajduk has been waiting 12 years for a spot in the group stage of a European competition. Tonight, they met last year's Champions League semi-finalist and Europa League champions the season before that, knocking out Dinamo Zagreb on their way to the title.

Villarreal had not seen defeat in their last ten games and recorded victories against Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter. Villarreal is led by Unai Emery, who managed Sevilla, PSG, and Arsenal before Villarreal. 

"Hajduk Split is a big name; it has a history, and it commands maximum respect and admiration. I know that. Kalinić, Simić, and Livaja, are players who have an international reputation and are recognized around the world. It is important for us to win. I talk about Hajduk to my players with great respect,'' Emery said before the game.

According to estimates, over a thousand Hajduk fans arrived in Valencia for Thursday night's match. 

Lineups

Villarreal (4-4-2): Reina - De la Fuente, Mandi, Pau Torres, Pedraza - Chukwueze, Parejo, Capoue, Baena - Morales, Jackson

Hajduk(3-5-2): Kalinić - Elez, Borevković, Awaziem - Mikanović, Grgić, Krovinović, Sahiti, Melnjak - Biuk, Livaja

Match report

Villarreal had their first chance of the match already in the 2nd minute, but Chukuweze shot wide of the goal.

Not even a minute later, Hajduk countered and shocked Villarreal. Livaja found Stipe Biuk, who ran into the penalty area at the perfect time to put the ball into the back of the net for 0:1 Hajduk! 

Melnjak and Livaja played a one-two in the 7th minute, which saw Melnjak get a shot off, but it was saved by the Villarreal keeper Reina.

A dangerous situation in front of Kalinić's goal in the 10th minute, but Mikanović calmly played it out for a Villarreal corner.

Livaja was shown a yellow card in the 13th minute, which is his second in this play-off. 

Villarreal equalized in the 15th minute. Morales shot from 10 meters, checked Kalinic, and scored for 1:1. 

Three minutes later, it was 2:1 for Villarreal off of a Livaja own goal. 

A corner for Villarreal in the 22nd minute was cleared by the Hajduk defense.

Villarreal took control of the game and dangerously attacked Hajduk's half. Hajduk struggled to get possession of the ball.

Hajduk had a corner in the 28th minute. The play ended in Krovinovic crossing to Melnjak in the box, who played the keeper. Hajduk countered in the next minute and Krovinovic shot from 20 or so meters out after seeing Livaja was offside. Another shot went to Reina.

"Hajduceeee" was all you could hear from the Spanish stadium. The commentators said that "Villarreal may be dominating the game, but Torcida is dominating the stands."

Chukuweze tried finding Morales' head in the 34th minute, but his attempt went over the goal. Two minutes later, Hajduk's shaky defense allowed too much space for yet another goal. Morales scored 3:1 in the 36th minute. 

Mikanović tackled Morales on the edge of the penalty area in the 41st minute for a Villarreal free kick which went out for Hajduk's ball. 

Villarreal was just too good for Hajduk in the first half and totally controlled the game. Hajduk struggled to hold onto the ball and relied on quick counters to attack. 

A free kick was awarded for Hajduk in the 44th minute, which went off Villarreal for a Hajduk corner. One minute of stoppage time was added to the end of the half. Villarreal capitalized on a quick counter. Moreno found himself 1-on-1 with Kalinic to score for 4:1. 

The second half began without any changes. 

Hajduk held possession in the first few minutes, and Biuk's diagonal shot in the 47th minute was deflected for a Hajduk corner. 

Kalinic made a brilliant save on Baena's shot in the 54th minute. 

Hajduk's defense continued allowing too much space for Villarreal. 

Biuk again dribbled into the box and won a corner for Hajduk in the 60th minute. 

Pau Torres and Lo Celso entered for Pedraza and Moreno in the 62nd minute. 

Villarreal was dangerous again in the next few minutes, with a corner in the 65th minute. 

Hajduk made their first subs in the 69th minute - Lovrecsics came on for Mikanović and Mlakar for Sahiti. Morales was subbed off for Jackson in the 73rd minute. 

Two more changes for Hajduk came in the 78th minute - Fossati and Nikola Kalinic entered the match for Elez and Livaja.  

The result didn't matter - Torcida was still the loudest in the stadium. 

A minute after Kalinic was subbed on, he entered a nasty tackle with Mandi, resulting in what looked like a split-open cheek. The Hajduk player was covered in blood, and Atanasov was subbed on. Hajduk was awarded a penalty which Fossati scored for 4:2 Hajduk in the 85th minute. 

A free kick was awarded to Hajduk two minutes later, which went out for a corner. Hajduk had a few minutes left to get another goal and not concede one, which would be huge going into the match next week in Split. 

Krovinovic struck the near post with his left foot in the 89th minute. 

The ref added four minutes of stoppage time to the match. Neither team was able to score.

The return match will be played on Thursday, August 25, at a sold-out Poljud Stadium. 

Post-match comments

"The next game should be easier to prepare for. Players can only improve by playing games like this. It started great for us, but we were naive, and we could have reacted much better. I would have preferred that they didn't score goals like that. We will have to be better in Croatia," said Hajduk coach Dambrauskas.

"We wanted to have better coverage in the midfield because Villarreal is integrated into the middle and in the space. Awaziem is a very calm player with the ball. I think he played a pretty good game," said the Hajduk coach.

"You won't believe what I'm going to tell you, but when you watch the next game, the atmosphere will be completely different, and our mentality will be different. With God's help, anything can happen. We will focus on the next game, analyze the opponents and try to win."

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May 15, 2022 - Marko Livaja has broken an 87-year-old Hajduk record, scoring 27 goals in a single season after two goals from the penalty spot against Istra last night. 

Hajduk's #10 Marko Livaja wrote Hajduk history in Saturday's match against Istra 1961, becoming Hajduk's top scorer in one season with 27 goals! 

Until the match against Istria, he was tied with legendary striker Zlatko Vujović in second place with 25 goals. However, after putting two goals in the back of Istra's net, he broke Leo Lemešić's record from the 1934/35 season with 26 goals scored. Lemešić is the second-top scorer in the history of the club behind Frane Matošić.

Marko scored goals against all clubs in the Croatian First League this season. Namely, in the 2021/22 Croatian Championship, he scored six goals against Istra 1961, five goals against Rijeka, four goals against Hrvatski Dragovoljac, three goals against Gorica and Lokomotiva, two goals against Šibenik and Slaven Belupo, and one goal against both Osijek and Dinamo to seal his title at the top scorer in the league.

It is also clear that with 27 goals, Marko Livaja will win the HNL Golden Boot after Josip Drmić no longer has a chance to catch the Hajduk striker due to a two-match ban. Recall, Drmić was fined 5,000 kuna and a two-match ban for hitting Stefan Simić in last Sunday's Adriatic derby between Rijeka and Hajduk. Drmić is thus in second place with 21 goals, while Dion Drena Beljo, Mislav Oršić, and Marko Dabro (who left Lokomotiva for China a month and a half ago) follow. Drmić will be free for the next two weekends, but he can play in the Cup final between Rijeka and Hajduk at Poljud on May 26.

"Numerous well-deserved hymns have been written about the achievements, statistics, records, moves, and games of Hajduk's #10s. His contribution will surely remain inscribed in the club's history alongside the greatest greats. Not only on the pitch but also off it" concluded Hajduk in a statement. 

The best player in the HNL started scoring at Inter and continued in Atalanta, FC Rubin Kazan, Empoli, Las Palmas, AEK, and now Hajduk. His 26th goal in Saturday's game was also the 100th goal of his career. 

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