In the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie, the Split club is considered a clear favorite, but they also bring an old, long-standing sore to Vilnius.
It is enough to look at Hajduk’s recent seasons’ performances in Europe to notice one unpleasant trend – this team struggles significantly when playing away.
The Split club has not managed to reach the main stage of European cup competitions for fifteen years and has not won an away match in eleven consecutive games.
The last time Hajduk triumphed on the opponent’s field was in the autumn of 2020, when in a pandemic-marked season they defeated the modest North Macedonian club Renova 1-0.
Since then, eight trips by the Split team have ended in defeats, and three more matches ended in draws.
The last three Hajduk away games in Europe were also unsuccessful. However, twice – against Tirana’s Dinamo City and Pafos – the Croatian club only succumbed in extra time.
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“A lot of sediment has accumulated, but there is no better place to start cleaning it than Vilnius,” believes Jutarnji journalist Frane Maršić.
According to him, Hajduk’s success on Thursday evening will primarily depend on the players’ psychology and their ability to keep a clear mind.
“If they play as they can, there should be no problems. The Vilnius club looks weaker than Kaunas Žalgiris, which Zagreb’s Dinamo pierced with five goals,” the Croatian journalist considered.
Before the match, there is also much talk about the unusual artificial turf at Liepkalnis Stadium, but F. Maršić does not think it should be a serious obstacle for the guests.
“Hajduk players have trained for many years on synthetic turf at their secondary pitch,” he noted.
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