Dramatic 4-0 defeat to Pafos after extra time, but the Split side gets a new chance in the third qualifying round of the Conference League against Lithuanian Žalgiris.
On the evening of July 30, Hajduk suffered a heavy defeat in the return leg of the Europa League second qualifying round in Cyprus. Pafos celebrated a 4-0 win after extra time, advancing to the next stage with a 4-2 aggregate score, reports DalmacijaDanas.
After winning the first leg 2-0 at Poljud, the Split side held the aggregate lead for a long time in Limassol. The home team took the lead in the 40th minute through a goal by Guga Rodrigues, but until injury time, the 1-0 scoreline meant Gonzalo Garcia's team would go through. In the 91st minute, David Goldar scored to make it 2-0 and send the match into extra time. Just two minutes later, in the 93rd minute, Biel scored the third goal to completely turn the tie around. The final 4-0 was set by João Correia in the 117th minute following a swift counter-attack.
A week ago, Hajduk played an excellent match at home and celebrated a 2-0 win. Michele Šego scored a beautiful free-kick goal, and Dario Melnjak soon doubled the lead to 2-0. However, that advantage was not enough against Pafos's onslaught in the return leg.
Despite the elimination, Hajduk's European journey is not over. The Whites will face Lithuanian side Žalgiris from Vilnius in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Žalgiris pulled off a major comeback in their tie against Dinamo Tbilisi, overturning a 3-0 deficit from the first leg with a 7-2 win at home (7-5 on aggregate).
The first match between Žalgiris and Hajduk is scheduled for August 6, 2026, in Vilnius, with the return leg on August 13 at Poljud. Exact kick-off times will be announced later.
