Livaja after 106th goal: Beat Rakow and enter Europe

Marko Livaja, a player for HNK Hajduk, gave a statement after securing three points in Velika Gorica with his goal. It was his 106th goal for the Split-based club, and after the match, he turned his attention to Thursday when Hajduk faces the first leg of the Conference League playoff against Rakow. Livaja entered the game in the 79th minute and scored just eight minutes later to make it 2:1, marking Hajduk's first league win of the season after two opening rounds without a victory.

Confidence ahead of the season's most important match

Livaja emphasized that the team controlled the match from the start but lamented that the win wasn't secured earlier. "We controlled the match from the start; it's a shame we didn't wrap it up earlier, but we pulled through in the end and took all three points. There's no need to talk about the performance because we were winless, and now we have confidence ahead of the most important match of the season. I hope we'll qualify for Europe. We reacted well after conceding the goal," Livaja told Dalmacija News. He added that both he and the fans aim to reach Europe and hopes they can achieve that after many years.

Warning about the young squad and past mistakes

He also reflected on situations where Hajduk had previously dropped points in the closing stages. "This is a young team; we took the lead against Istra near the end, and we saw what happened. We should have gone for that second goal to avoid these situations. In the HNL, there are always players who can punish you if you don't finish the match on time," he added. He also commented on the team's reaction after conceding the equalizer, noting that this young squad responded well this time, unlike in the match against Istra.

Goal from good positioning and high expectations

Describing his goal, Livaja explained: "I expected to receive the ball, and I positioned myself well. I saw the goalkeeper coming out, knew the near post was open, and I hit it." He revealed that he anticipated the pass from teammate Del Moral, after which he positioned himself nicely and took advantage of the Gorica goalkeeper's advance. When asked if things are easier now, he replied: "It's easier, but with us, it's never easy. Expectations are always high, but that's normal because we're at a big club. I hope we'll make the fans happy, beat Rakow, and get into Europe."

Dressing room atmosphere and hope for a better season

Livaja also confirmed the good atmosphere within the team. "The atmosphere has always been good, and it still is. The boys are as eager as ever; I hope we'll succeed this year. In past years, we've had bad luck and injuries; hopefully, that will turn around now. We certainly need to show more," he concluded. He noted that he's been at the club for five and a half years and that the dressing room atmosphere has always been positive, with the team hungry for success. With these three points, Hajduk moved up to sixth place in the league table with four points from the first three rounds.