Toni Silić: Defeat to Pafos Left Its Mark on Us
Hajduk lost 2:1 to Varaždin in the first round of the SuperSport HNL, marking only the fourth time in 35 seasons that the Split club has opened the championship with a defeat.
Hajduk lost 2:1 to Varaždin in the first round of the SuperSport HNL, marking only the fourth time in 35 seasons that the Split club has opened the championship with a defeat.
Hajduk opened the new SuperSport HNL season with a 2:1 defeat away to Varaždin on August 2, 2026. After being eliminated by Pafos in the second qualifying round of the Europa League with an aggregate score of 4:2, the Split side suffered another setback that deepened the early-season crisis.
The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute through a goal from Mario Mladenovski following a set piece. Hajduk responded quickly, with Rokas Pukštas leveling the score in the 56th minute. However, Varaždin regained the lead in the 62nd minute when Luka Mamić scored after a major defensive error by the Split side. In the 90th minute, Hajduk had a chance to equalize, but Josip Silić saved Marko Livaja's penalty.
Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia did not hide his disappointment after the match. "When we played against Pafos, we knew they were a tough opponent. We played a very good first leg, but in the second leg we lost in the last second. Today we started poorly; in the first half we lacked energy. In the second half, we were better, we had control and created chances, but we conceded two silly goals from set pieces. We dominated and created opportunities, but the goals we conceded cost us," Garcia told Lika Online.
The Spanish coach made as many as four substitutions at halftime, which he explained as a need to refresh the team after the exhausting European match. "The players are still tired from Thursday. We use a lot of players precisely because of that rhythm. I'm not disappointed with the second half, but I'm angry about the way we conceded both goals. Those things must not happen to us," he said.
Hajduk goalkeeper Toni Silić, whose brother Josip stood on the opposite side and saved Livaja's penalty, was honest in assessing his team's performance. "We entered the first half without energy; we had maybe two chances. Varaždin waited for us on the counter, and at halftime we agreed we had to be more energetic. We conceded the first goal from a set piece and the second from an individual error. In the end, we didn't deserve more. The defeat to Pafos left its mark; this match was an ideal opportunity to wash away the bitter taste, but we didn't manage it," Toni Silić told Index.hr.
Despite the loss, Silić has already turned his attention to the next challenge. "I defend the colors of my club; unfortunately, I didn't manage to score. Now we'll analyze this, and in four days show character, win, and then advance in Split," he concluded.
As reported by Tportal, Hajduk has lost its first league match only four times in 35 HNL seasons. The Whites have traditionally started league seasons well, but this time Varaždin spoiled that streak. Before this year's defeat, it had happened only three times. The last time was in the 2021/22 season when Lokomotiva won 2:1 at Poljud, in the 2009/10 season when Osijek won 1:0 at Gradski vrt, and in July 2001 when Varteks celebrated 2:0 in Varaždin.
Hajduk now has little time to recover. On Wednesday, they travel to face Žalgiris in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League. "It will be a tough trip. We are tired, but that's no excuse. We have to be better," coach Garcia said.
