The Whites defend a huge 5:2 lead against Žalgiris on Thursday, but all thoughts are already on Sunday's match against Gorica. Coach Garcia is considering resting the most burdened players.
Hajduk finds itself in a situation not seen at Poljud for a long time. After a convincing victory in Vilnius, the European stage brings an unusual dose of comfort, while the domestic league imposes the imperative of victory. Coach Gonzalo Garcia now must decide how to allocate his forces between two matches in just four days.
On Thursday, August 13, Hajduk hosts Lithuanian side Žalgiris at Poljud in the return leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League. The 5:2 advantage from the first leg seems sufficient for Garcia to give his most burdened players a rest. The winner of this tie will face the better side from the clash between Poland's Raków and Sweden's Hammarby in the play-off round.
Paradoxically, it is the European match, usually a priority for the Split club, that could serve as a testing ground for rotation. The main reason lies in the fact that the league situation is far from ideal. After a defeat and a shocking draw, Hajduk has taken only one of a possible six points in the first two rounds.
On Sunday, August 16, Gorica arrives at Poljud. This is a match where the Whites simply must win to get back on the winning track. Therefore, it increasingly looks like Garcia will save his strongest lineup for this league clash.
The coach has been warning for some time about the overload on certain players. This primarily refers to the midfield duo of Adrion Pajaziti and Rokas Pukštas. Both have started every match since the beginning of the season and mostly played all 90 minutes. Interestingly, they have only been substituted once: Pukštas against Žalgiris in Lithuania, and Pajaziti against Pafos at Poljud.
In addition to Pajaziti and Pukštas, Šimun Hrgović and Michele Šego are also logging significant minutes. On the other hand, there are players still searching for their rhythm, like Marin Šotiček and Niko Sigur, while some, like Acapandiea, Marešić, and Van Hoorenbeeck, have had issues with minor injuries.
One solution for rest could be young Anđelo Šutalo. In the second half against Istra, he generated almost all the danger, and it was from his shot that Marko Livaja scored. Šutalo could replace the ineffective Bambu or form a tandem with him on the wing. The form of the center-back pairing of Marešić and Van Hoorenbeeck is also questionable, with their performances seemingly weakening from match to match. Kosovar Ron Raci emerges as an alternative.
"The factual state is that the match that 'makes you sweat' is the one against Gorica on Sunday, not against Žalgiris on Thursday," reads the analysis in Sportske novosti.
Garcia faces decisions he has not yet had to make at Hajduk. The possibility of resting key players in Europe to keep them fresh for the league truly seems like a parallel universe for the club from Poljud. Nevertheless, a three-goal lead and home turf should be enough for advancement, regardless of whether Del Moral, Raci, Bamba, Šutalo, Livaja, Pajaziti, or Pukštas take the field.
