HNK Hajduk Split has learned its opponents for the UEFA Europa Conference League league phase, with the draw handing the Croatian club two Danish rivals. Before the draw, Danish media labelled Hajduk as the most undesirable opponent from Pot 5, as reported by Index.hr Sport.
Who are all of Hajduk's opponents?
The draw in Monaco determined that Hajduk will face six different clubs across the six-match league phase. The Whites were drawn against FC Midtjylland, FC Nordsjælland, Ajax, Sint-Truiden, Lincoln Red Imps, and FC Thun. Hajduk will play three of these matches at home in Poljud and three away. The home fixtures at their stadium will be against FC Nordsjælland, Ajax, and Sint-Truiden. The away matches will take place at the grounds of FC Midtjylland, Lincoln Red Imps, and FC Thun. This phase of the competition will be challenging, but Hajduk enters it with confidence after successfully navigating the qualifiers.
Why did the Danes want to avoid Hajduk?
Prior to the draw, Danish publication Tipsbladet published an analysis by Benjamin Leander, an analyst for the platform SpilXperten. He ranked potential opponents for the four Danish representatives in the Conference League league phase. For clubs in Pot 5, Leander ranked opponents in order of preference: Inter Club d'Escaldes, Jablonec, Riga, and only then Hajduk Split. Benjamin Leander stated: "Hajduk is second in Croatia and a terrible opponent to get from the fifth pot." This was the only club from its pot that the analyst singled out as an extremely undesirable opponent. The irony is that the draw subsequently paired Hajduk with two Danish clubs, FC Midtjylland and FC Nordsjælland.
How does the league phase work?
The Conference League league phase consists of six rounds. Each club plays one match against each of its six assigned opponents, three at home and three away. After these six rounds, the final standings will determine the path forward. The top eight teams from the league phase advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing in positions 9th to 24th will enter a play-off round to reach the last 16. Hajduk will need to fight for the best possible position to avoid extra matches in February. Their current domestic league standing, where they are 4th with 7 points from 4 games, shows the team needs to find consistency.
What is Hajduk's current form?
Hajduk enters the European campaign with some momentum from the domestic league but also room for improvement. According to our verified data as of 29 August 2026, the club sits in 4th place in the HNL table. They have gathered 7 points from four played matches, with a record of 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Their recent form over the last four games is win, win, loss, draw (WWDL). In the league, they have scored 9 goals and conceded 5, giving them a goal difference of +4. They trail leaders Dinamo Zagreb by just two points. The next domestic challenge comes on Friday, 31 August, against NK Lokomotiva Zagreb at Poljud. Lokomotiva is currently sixth in the table, providing an interesting test before the European matches. You can track all upcoming fixtures on our fixtures page.
What does this mean for the upcoming matches?
Drawing two Danish clubs, Midtjylland and Nordsjælland, presents Hajduk with a specific logistical and tactical challenge. Both trips to Denmark are relatively short, which could be an advantage compared to distant destinations. Hajduk will need to show its strength away from home, especially against Midtjylland who were in Pot 2. The match against Ajax at Poljud will undoubtedly be a highlight for the fans. Manager Gonzalo Garcia will have the task of preparing the squad for this diverse range of opponents. It's key that Hajduk maintains focus in the HNL as well, where they aim to close the gap on Dinamo. The current squad and statistics can always be checked on our squad and stats pages. The first Conference League matches present an excellent opportunity for the club to confirm its European status and progress in the competition.
