Hajduk's young goalkeeper, alongside coach García, previewed the return leg of the Conference League third qualifying round and admitted the team must improve their defensive record.
Hajduk will host Žalgiris at Poljud on Thursday in the return leg of the Conference League third qualifying round. The Split side returned from Vilnius with a convincing 5:2 win, which should be enough to advance, but after several lackluster performances in the domestic league and poor experiences from previous seasons, no one at the club can afford to be complacent. The match was previewed for the media by young goalkeeper Toni Silić, who has come under the public spotlight in recent weeks due to the number of goals conceded.
Silić spoke at the press conference alongside coach Gonzalo García and also touched on the fact that he wore the captain's armband in the first leg. "It's definitely a dream come true to be captain. It's a source of pride for me and my family," Silić told Sportklub.
When it comes to the big lead from the first leg, the young shot-stopper believes it won't change the team's approach. "It's definitely a big advantage. We played excellently there and won away after a long time. We'll set up offensively; that's the only way we know how to play," he said.
Hajduk's defense has been conceding an average of nearly two goals per game this season, and Silić is aware that he shares part of the responsibility for that statistic. "We're working on it. It's certainly not nice to concede a lot of goals. We've lost a lot of points in the final minutes, and we're working to ensure that doesn't happen in the future," he said.
He also reflected on his own performances, admitting there is room for improvement. "I'm satisfied with some things, not with others. I'm not satisfied with how many goals we concede. There's a lot, a lot of room for improvement. When I'm at a higher level, it's easier for the team, and when the team is at a higher level, it's easier for me. We talk about all the positive and negative things."
Despite the fact that Hajduk has a league match against Gorica coming up this weekend, Silić emphasizes that the team is not thinking about that game yet. "We're not thinking about Gorica yet. We have a good advantage, but nothing is decided yet. Only after this match can we think about Gorica," he replied.
In closing, he expressed confidence that Hajduk can replicate their performance from Lithuania and secure a spot in the play-off round. "We certainly can. If we approach it with the same mindset and energy, I'm sure we'll celebrate and reach the play-off, which we haven't been in for years."
