HNK Hajduk Split marked their return to European competition after 16 years with a vital 2-1 victory over Ajax in the UEFA Conference League. The match at Poljud Stadium, attended by 31,273 fans, delivered three key points for the Croatian side.
Abdoulie Sanyang Bamba opened the scoring for Hajduk in the 37th minute, and Marin Šotiček responded just two minutes after Davy Klaassen equalised for Ajax in the 53rd. The win boosted Hajduk's projected chance of reaching the top 24 in the league phase by a substantial 18.4 percentage points, to 85.7%. This currently places them 10th in the standings, with a projection to finish 14th with 9.8 points.
Beating Ajax is a major step towards the knockout stages. The top eight teams from the league phase advance directly to the last 16, while sides placed 9th to 24th enter a playoff for the remaining eight spots. Hajduk's current position in the middle of that pack gives them a solid chance. Following this result, Ajax's own chances of making the top 24 fell by 12 percentage points.
The team now turns its attention to the domestic league where they lead the HNL table with 19 points from nine games. Their next task is a top-of-the-table clash against second-placed Varazdin on Wednesday. Check the full match schedule on our fixtures page.
The game was intense and was halted for approximately 12 minutes in the 77th minute due to smoke from flares in the stands. Hajduk made several substitutions in the second half, including the introduction of Leander Dendoncker for Joshua del Moral in the 69th minute. Michele Šego received a yellow card in the 60th minute. All match statistics and lineups are available on the stats page.
This victory comes just five days after a key derby win over Dinamo in the HNL, where Abdoulie Sanyang was also on the scoresheet. The focus now shifts to maintaining their league leadership, with all squad and injury information available on squad. Hajduk's next European fixture is at home against Saint-Truiden.
First reported at Net.hr Sportski
