Hajduk drew 2-2 with Istra 1961 at the Aldo Drosina stadium in Pula in the 11th round of the SuperSport HNL. This result ended Hajduk's run of four consecutive wins in all competitions, although the club retained first place in the league table.
Hajduk took the lead in the seventh minute with a scissor kick from Khalil Fayad. Michele Šego extended the lead to 2-0 in the 54th minute following a Fayad move. Hamza Jaganjac pulled one back to make it 1-2 in the 66th minute, and Emil Frederiksen equalised from the penalty spot in the 81st minute to make it 2-2.
Manager Gonzalo Garcia said it had been a difficult match. He noted that Istra started well, but Hajduk subsequently took control. He added that Hajduk was closer to scoring a third goal than Istra was to scoring their first, and that Hajduk regained control of the game after the equaliser.
Garcia said he could not be angry with the players because they had played a good match. He revealed that Acapandie had asked to be substituted, as had Marešić, who felt a muscle. "We knew the players were tired. I had three substitutions I had to use due to fatigue, and after that I had no more changes left," Garcia said.
He recalled that they were good and in control at 2-0, but fatigue caught up with them after the first goal conceded. "We needed to kill the game off at 2-0, but we did not do that," Garcia concluded.
Hajduk now have four points more than second-placed Dinamo, who have two games in hand.
