Hajduk defeated Gorica 5-0 at Poljud in a SuperSport HNL match in Round 12. The league leaders thus overcame the bottom-placed team in the league, with the first half ending with the hosts leading 3-0.
Gorica had conceded 15 goals in the first 11 rounds, but had not conceded more than three goals in a single match. Gorica manager Mario Carević had emphasised before the away trip to Split that he was satisfied with their defensive stability, stating that Gorica had the fifth-best defence in the league. However, Hajduk scored five goals against Gorica, four of which came in the first 50 minutes.
Hajduk manager Gonzalo Garcia made five changes for this match. He rested Khalil Fayad and Michele Šega, while remaining without the injured Dalisson and Darijo Marešić. He placed Marko Livaja in the starting lineup. Hajduk did not have Fayad or Pajaziti available from the first minute.
In the 21st minute, Hajduk had 64 per cent possession, one shot and 0.02 expected goals. Adam Huram scored 1-0 from a very difficult angle, with Acapandié delivering the cross to the far post for that goal. Bamba and Mathieu Acapandié pressured Ivan Cvijanović and won the ball for the first goal. Twelve minutes later, Hajduk won the ball high up the pitch again: Dendoncker passed the ball to Livaja, Livaja found Carlos Martín, and Martín set up Bamba for 2-0. In the 38th minute, Martín aggressively pressured a Gorica defender on his own, blocked an attempt to clear the ball, won possession and moved towards goal, calmly scoring for 3-0.
Hajduk had only 1.06 expected goals at half-time. Livaja had neither a goal nor an assist at half-time, nor a shot on target, and he had 34 touches and 17 accurate passes out of 25 attempts. Garcia did not place Livaja as the main striker, but behind Carlos Martín. In possession, Hajduk organised into a 3-2-4-1 structure: Acapandié stayed alongside Dennis Hadžikadunić and Alec Van Hoorenbeeck, Šimun Hrgović pushed high on the left, Del Moral and Dendoncker held the middle, Adam Huram was the left ten, Livaja the right ten, Bamba wide right, and Martín up front. Dendoncker tracked Domagoj Pavičić almost to the opponent's penalty area several times.
