Anđelo Šutalo scores first Hajduk goal in friendly win

Anđelo Šutalo scored his first goal for HNK Hajduk Split in a friendly match against Croatia Zmijavci. The Split-based club celebrated a 3-0 victory at the Stadion ŠRC Marijan Šuto Mrma in front of approximately 2000 spectators.

Marko Livaja opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. Šutalo netted his first goal for the Whites in the 53rd minute, and Peter Nnaemeka Ugwuodo, a Zmijavci player on dual registration, sealed the 3-0 result in the 87th minute. The match was played during the international break as part of preparations for the season's resumption.

The 20-year-old winger, who joined Hajduk this summer, was delighted with his maiden strike. “The feeling is phenomenal. Thanks for the congratulations,” said Šutalo. “It was a tough match. There was a lot of space on the wings so we played there.”

This win comes after a heavy defeat to Rijeka in the last official match before the break. Hajduk currently sits second in the HNL table with 16 points from eight games. Their next challenge is the big derby against league leaders Dinamo Zagreb, to be played at home on October 10th. Coach Gonzalo Garcia's team enters that clash with good confidence, having won four of their last five matches.

Šutalo also praised the opposition and the pitch conditions. “The pitch is excellent, and Croatia is a serious team. They had their chances. We didn't let them use them. We used ours,” the young player noted. “We are ready for the continuation of the season and we hope for victories.”

Beyond the derby with Dinamo, Hajduk also has a friendly against Ajax scheduled. The full squad status and all statistics can be checked on the squad and stats pages. Hajduk has scored 16 league goals this season, with top scorer Marko Šego netting four.

First reported at Index.hr Sport