Hajduk play the return leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League against Lithuanian side Žalgiris at Poljud on Thursday. The first match was played in Vilnius, where Hajduk secured a convincing 5-2 victory.
The return fixture was previewed by Žalgiris coach Andrius Skerla, who provided a detailed analysis of the first encounter. Skerla rated the Vilnius scoreline as very high and expects an extremely difficult match at Poljud. He highlighted that Žalgiris is not accustomed to playing in front of an audience of such size and quality, which he considers a key factor that will influence the course of the game.
Skerla expressed high regard for former Hajduk coach Valdas Dambrauskas, whom he considers the best coach in Lithuania. Skerla lived with Dambrauskas for a week and discussed Hajduk with him, receiving information that it is a large club with an excellent squad. He recalls the atmosphere from the time Dambrauskas managed Hajduk and believes it will be similar for this return leg.
On the other hand, Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia and captain Toni Silić also previewed the match. Silić considers the 5-2 result a significant advantage, particularly following the excellent away performance. He stressed that Hajduk will set up to attack, as that is the only way the club knows how to play, despite intensive work on defence.
Captain Silić admitted that conceding many goals is not pleasant, but emphasised that they do not wish to repeat past situations. Silić noted that they have recently often lost matches in the final minutes, but that they are aware of this problem and will strive to avoid similar mistakes.
Should they progress to the play-off, Hajduk are expected to face the winner of the tie between Polish side Raków and Swedish side Hammarby. All these facts indicate that Thursday at Poljud will bring a crucial match for Hajduk’s further journey in European competition.
