Hajduk Scores Five Away Goals for the First Time in 24 Years
Gonzalo García's side thrashed Lithuanian side Žalgiris 5:1 in Vilnius, recording their most convincing away win since the famous 8:0 victory over Víkingur in 2002.
Gonzalo García's side thrashed Lithuanian side Žalgiris 5:1 in Vilnius, recording their most convincing away win since the famous 8:0 victory over Víkingur in 2002.
Hajduk's players gave their fans a night to remember. In the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League, the Split-based Whites defeated Lithuanian side Žalgiris 5:1 away in Vilnius. This goal fest in European away matches is something Hajduk hasn't achieved in over two decades, practically securing their place in the next round of the competition.
The hero of the match was Michele Šego, who found the back of the net twice. First, he was confident from the penalty spot to give Hajduk the lead, and then, after Žalgiris equalized, he scored a fantastic free-kick to make it 2:1. In the second half, Adrion Pajaziti, Dalisson de Almeida, and Rokas Pukštas all scored to extend the lead to an unassailable 5:1. The final score was softened by former Hajduk player Marko Capan, who now plays for Žalgiris.
The last time Hajduk scored at least five goals in a European away match was in August 2002. On August 29, in the return leg of the UEFA Cup qualifying round, they thrashed home side Víkingur 8:0 in the Faroe Islands.
By halftime of that historic match at Tórsvøllur Stadium in Tórshavn, the score was already 5:0 to Hajduk. Tomislav Erceg scored in the 12th and 16th minutes, and Srđan Andrić in the 23rd and 35th. In stoppage time of the first half, then-goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa converted a penalty. Mario Carević made it 6:0 in the first minute of the second half, and the same players, Erceg and Carević, scored again for the final 8:0 in the closing stages. In the first leg in Split, Hajduk had won 3:0, meaning the aggregate score against Víkingur was a staggering 11:0.
Although the victory in Vilnius didn't threaten the record from the Faroe Islands, it has become one of the most memorable away performances in recent club history. In Hajduk's rich archive, the 5:0 away win against Maltese side Floriana in 1975 also stands out among the greatest European victories. However, until the evening of August 6, 2026, the last "five-goal haul" away from home was the one from 2002.
Now, the wait of nearly 24 years is over. Hajduk takes a huge three-goal advantage into the return leg at Poljud and can look forward to the playoff round of the Conference League with great optimism.
