Thursday was a huge night for Croatian football in Europe. Hajduk Split finally ended a 16-year wait for a European league-phase match in the best possible way, beating the legendary Ajax at Poljud, while Dinamo Zagreb needed a dramatic stoppage-time penalty to see off Anderlecht at Maksimir. Two tense, scrappy, occasionally chaotic matches — and two wins for our clubs to show for it.
Hajduk 2-1 Ajax: Split End 16-Year Wait in Style
Hajduk came out flying in their opening Conference League league-phase fixture, riding the electric atmosphere at Poljud, even though the Dutch side looked sharper in the opening exchanges. Ajax had the first real chance of the match in the seventh minute, and it was a huge one; Arokodare broke through alone on goalkeeper Silić, but Hadžikadunić got back just in time to block the shot and save Hajduk from an early setback after the striker didn’t shoot first-time.
From there, ‘Split ‘Bili’ took over. Hajduk pressed well, dominated the energy of the game, and had Šotiček and Bamba causing problems down their respective flanks all half. Dalisson had a shot blocked in the 18th minute, and the Brazilian tried again six minutes later, but Ajax goalkeeper Ter Stegen dealt with that one comfortably. Hajduk won the midfield battle for most of the half and controlled possession, but it took until the 37th minute for the pressure to pay off — Šotiček won the ball back in midfield with a fantastic first touch, drove the counterattack, and found Bamba. The Gambian winger finished calmly into the far corner to make it 1-0, and Ajax couldn’t find a response before the break despite a late push.
The picture changed at the start of the second half, with Ajax taking control of possession, but Hajduk defended high and did well to blunt the visitors’ early momentum. It didn’t last; Ajax equalised in the 53rd minute when captain Klaassen brilliantly controlled a cross and finished under the bar. The lead didn’t stand for long, though. Thankfully, Hajduk were back in front just three minutes later, still pressing high, when Šego won the ball inside Ajax’s box and squared it for Šotiček, who finished simply into the net for 2-1.
Ajax spent the rest of the match pushing for an equaliser — Arokodare and Klaassen both threatened again, and Šego had a chance to make it 3-1 in the 70th minute but shot straight at Ter Stegen. The match was briefly halted in the 75th minute amid ugly scenes among the crowd and a reckless flare display, but once it resumed, Hajduk held their nerve through a tense finish. Šutalo nearly made it 3-1 himself in the 94th minute but fumbled his touch. Sixteen years after their last European league-phase campaign, Hajduk are off to the perfect start.
Dinamo 1-0 Anderlecht: Beljo Strikes Late to Save the Night
Dinamo’s night was far less convincing, but the result ended up exactly the same. Just five players survived from Dinamo’s starting XI in the “water polo” derby defeat at Poljud through to this Anderlecht match: Kotarski, Domínguez, Pérez Vinlöf, Ivanušec, and Beljo. Mario Kovačević turned to Galešić, Radeljić, Stojković, Mišić, Almena, and Hoxha as he searched for a way out of the slump.
The early exchanges were cagey, with harmless attempts from Hoxha and Ivanušec before the game shifted onto Dinamo’s half. The visitors’ best sequence came just after the 21st minute, when the home side’s frame bailed them out twice in seconds: Cvetković struck the crossbar from a Winkler cross, and Reabciuk hit almost the identical spot moments later, only for Kotarski to get a hand on it. The goalkeeper stood tall again seven minutes later, denying a close-range header from Degreef. At the other end, Dinamo’s best first-half chance fell to Almena, played through after a Hoxha-Ivanušec combination down the left, but the Spaniard lifted his shot over the bar.
In the second half, Anderlecht pounced on the loose momentum and threatened through Winkler, but Kotarski saved again to preserve the clean sheet. Looking for a spark, Kovačević brought on Valinčić and Rodríguez for Galešić and Almena just after the hour mark, and the new Spanish winger made an almost immediate impact with a cutback onto his left foot, though the shot went straight into the goalkeeper’s grasp.
The closing stages turned scrappy, with technical errors creeping into both sides’ build-up. Anderlecht tried their luck from distance through Aasgaard, but Kotarski flew across to tip it away, and Hoxha missed the clearest chance of the night in the 81st minute, hesitating when clean through on goal. In the end, the patience paid off in the most dramatic way possible — deep into stoppage time, Rodríguez’s cross struck Reabciuk’s arm, the referee pointed to the spot, and Beljo converted to carry Dinamo to one of the most important wins of his time in the blue jersey.
Hajduk made the kind of statement our clubs rarely get to make in Europe, and Dinamo found a way to grind out three points as they look to build on this victory. Hajduk travels to Switzerland next Thursday to face Swiss champions, Thun. While Dinamo host Dutch side NEC Nijmegen.
Hajduk are in a good position here.
They play Thun in Switzerland next week and then play Red Imps in Gibraltar two weeks after that.
Hajduk should be the favorite against Red Imps, but Thun are also struggling this season, so hopefully Hajduk can at least get a point there. Hajduk could walk away with four points from two away games.
St-Truidense is their next opponent in Split, and this team finished third last season in Belgium…but they’re also off to a slow start this year. A win here will be critical for Hajduk.
If all goes well, Hajduk can get most of their points from their first four games before they face two tougher Danish opponents (Nordsjaelland in Split and Midtyjlland in Denmark) in their final to matches.