HNK Hajduk Split continues its HNL campaign with a match against Lokomotiva on Saturday evening at Poljud. This is the fifth round of the competition, with the Whites coming into it boosted by recent European success. According to data from Index.hr Sport, the match kicks off at 18:30 and will be broadcast on MAXSport 1 and Hajduk Digital TV. Coach Gonzalo Garcia has called on his team to fully refocus on the domestic championship after the major victory in Poland against Raków that secured Europa League qualification.
Currently, as of verified data from 31 August 2026, Hajduk sits in 4th place in the HNL with 7 points from four matches played. The team has scored 9 goals, conceded 5, and holds a positive goal difference of +4. Furthermore, they trail league leaders NK Osijek by five points. Their next league engagement is an away fixture at Rudes on September 6th.
How will Hajduk cope with absences?
Coach Garcia faces certain selection challenges. The club will be without Rokas Pukštas, who transferred to Middlesbrough, and without Niko Sigur who is on the verge of a move. Due to Sigur's impending departure, Garcia will have to change two central defenders compared to the Europa League lineup. These changes will test the depth of Hajduk's squad in an important domestic match.
The officiating team for the match consists of referee Ivan Vukančić, assistant referees Ivan Starčević and Luka Pajić, and fourth official Mateo Erceg. VAR technology will be overseen by Mario Zebec with the assistance of Luka Kurtović. All fixture schedule information can be found on our fixtures page.
What is the league situation after four rounds?
Hajduk earned seven points in the first four rounds, while Lokomotiva gathered six points with two losses and two wins. A victory against Lokomotiva would be an important step for the Whites in their fight to close the gap to the top of the table. The current standings can be followed in detail on the standings page.
Garcia emphasized the importance of concentration. "Da njegova momčad sada mora potpuno prebaciti fokus na prvenstvo," the coach said. After the emotional high in Europe, maintaining that momentum in domestic competition is key. The team has a chance to show it can balance efforts on two fronts.
What's next for the Whites?
Following this encounter, Hajduk prepares for an away match at Rudes, who currently sit in 8th place on the ladder. That will be another opportunity to secure points consistently. The long-term goal is clearly to reduce the points difference to the leading clubs. The team's current performance, including individual player statistics, is available on our stats page.
The match against Lokomotiva represents the first step in a series of three league matches in a short period. Success in this part of the season will be decisive for the overall league position in the autumn phase of the competition.
