HNK Hajduk Split began their 2026/27 Croatian Cup campaign with a victory against third-tier side Vardarac on Tuesday, September 8th. The match kicked off at 16:30 and was broadcast live on the television channels Max Sport 1 and HDTV on the MAXtv platform.
The Hajduk coach opted to field a largely reserve squad for this encounter with the lower-league opponent. This is a common move in the early cup rounds, allowing rest for some regular starters and giving minutes to squad players. Among those given a chance was Gonzalo Garcia, who was part of the combined lineup. This approach makes sense given the congested fixture list, as Hajduk already hosted Slaven Belupo in the HNL on Sunday, September 12th. The team currently leads the Croatian First Football League with 13 points from six matches played, recording four wins, one draw, and one loss. Their form in the last five league games is WWWWD.
The Whites entered the cup with great confidence following strong results in the league and European qualifiers. Prior to this match, Hajduk recorded convincing wins against Lokomotiva and Rudeš, and even defeated Osijek with nine changes to the starting eleven. A very important success was also achieved in Europe, where Hajduk beat Raków Częstochowa in Poland to secure a place in the Conference League. These results are accompanied by an impressive goal difference of +10 in the domestic championship, with 15 scored and only 5 conceded. All this makes them one of the main favorites to win the cup.
Vardarac is a club competing in the Third Football League, East. After three matches played in their division, the team was in third place on the table. Ahead of them were Tomislav from Donji Andrijevci and Tomislav from Cerne. The top spots in the 3. NL East were held by former top-flight teams Marsonia and Belišće. For Vardarac, the match against Hajduk represented a major sporting and financial opportunity, regardless of the outcome.
The first round of the Croatian Cup round of 16 was scheduled over several days. On the day of Hajduk's match, at 17:30, Zagorec from Krapina played Istra 1961. The following day, Wednesday, September 9th, a total of ten matches were played. Among them, the most interesting was certainly the one between Bedem Ivankovo and Dinamo Zagreb, who is also competing for the title in the HNL. The other pairs that day were: Hrvatski dragovoljac, Slaven Belupo, Uskok, Gorica, Segesta, Osijek, Tomislav, Lokomotiva, Zagora, Varaždin, Slavonija Požega, Oriolik, Vukovar 1991, Cibalia, Orijent, Mladost Ždralovi, and Koprivnica, Rudeš. The remaining two pairs will be played next week: Bjelovar, Karlovac 1919 (September 15th) and Vrbovec, Rijeka along with Kustošija, BSK Bijelo Brdo (September 16th). The full match schedule for the Whites can be followed on our fixtures page.
After this cup outing, the focus returns to the championship. Hajduk faces an important home match against Slaven Belupo on Sunday, September 12th. Belupo is currently in eighth place on the table. This match will be an opportunity for Hajduk to strengthen their position at the top, especially since Dinamo Zagreb, who also has 13 points, has one game in hand. The current situation on the standings page shows that the title race is extremely tight. A win against Belupo would be an important step for Hajduk in maintaining pressure on all rivals.
