Hajduk thrashed Žalgiris 5:2 in Vilnius, ending a nearly six-year winless run in European away matches. Adrion Pajaziti revealed how the rain helped him and commented on the turbulent week for the Split side.
In the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League, Hajduk dismantled Lithuanian side Žalgiris 5:2 in Vilnius. The Split side took a huge step towards the play-offs, bringing a three-goal advantage back to Split for the return leg at Poljud on August 13, 2026.
Beyond the convincing victory, midfielder Adrion Pajaziti stood out, scoring the third goal for the Whites. After the match, he did not hide his satisfaction but also reflected on the turbulent week leading up to this historic evening.
Pajaziti revealed an interesting detail from the pitch. Although the team had to adapt to the artificial surface, the weather conditions worked in his favor. "I felt good playing on artificial turf. It started to rain, which was even better. The ball was faster. I felt good on the pitch," Pajaziti told 24sata.
The young midfielder was one of the key players in the midfield, and his goal further broke the resistance of the hosts. Alongside him, Michele Šego had a stellar evening with two goals, while Dalisson and Rokas Pukštas also got on the scoresheet.
Pajaziti compared the opponents from the two qualifying rounds. "The opponent is different. In the first match against Pafos, we were good. In the second one in Cyprus, we weren't good as a team, and Pafos had nothing to lose," he said for 24sata.
He also commented on the recent setbacks that have put pressure on the team, including the defeat to Varaždin. "Against Varaždin, we played our worst half of the season. The second half was better, but we conceded silly goals," he admitted.
He did not look for excuses in the congested schedule, although he described what the team went through. "We were on the road a lot, to Cyprus and back, then to Varaždin. Our flight was delayed, we arrived at 2 a.m. We were tired, but that's not an excuse. We'll try to be better against Istra," he added.
Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia also did not hide his emotions after the team ended a negative run in European away matches that had lasted since August 2020, when they beat Macedonian side Renova.
"When you lose as Hajduk, there is always pressure, and when you win, it's relief. Today we managed to win after six or seven years in Europe away from home, and we broke that barrier," Garcia told Lika Online. "This broke down some walls."
He is aware that the job is not done yet, but he believes in his young squad. "Our future is not easy. I've been here for 13 or 14 months, and we work very hard. We have a lot of young players who finally managed to win away in Europe," he said.
