Šotiček's Shocking Miss: Hajduk Squanders Chance for 2:0
Hajduk's new signing had an open goal in the 8th minute, but the ball took an awkward bounce. Michele Šego's early goal gave the Whites hope, with Željko Sopić watching the match live.
Hajduk's new signing had an open goal in the 8th minute, but the ball took an awkward bounce. Michele Šego's early goal gave the Whites hope, with Željko Sopić watching the match live.
Hajduk's footballers are away to Lithuanian side Žalgiris on Wednesday, August 6, 2026, in the third qualifying round of the Conference League, and the match brought real drama within the first fifteen minutes. After two consecutive league defeats, the Split side opened the match brilliantly in Vilnius, but what happened just three minutes after the opening goal will be talked about for a long time.
Michele Šego won a penalty in the 5th minute, then took responsibility and calmly converted to give Hajduk the lead. The early goal brought a much-needed sense of calm and confidence to Gonzalo Garcia's side.
However, just three minutes later came a moment that stunned everyone in red. After a fine combination, the ball fell to Marin Šotiček, with the goal completely empty in front of him. Unfortunately for Hajduk, the ball took an awkward bounce, and Šotiček failed to control it. A huge chance to double the lead and make it 2:0 went begging.
Such a miss at this stage of the competition can easily prove costly. In the 14th minute, Šego had another attempt from the penalty spot, but this time goalkeeper Šarkauskas made a good save to deny him.
Adding an interesting context to the match was Croatian coach Željko Sopić, the manager of Kauno Žalgiris, last year's Lithuanian champions who recently faced Dinamo. When asked by reporters who he would be supporting in the clash between Hajduk and his club's fierce rivals, the charismatic coach replied in his trademark style.
"Don't insult me! Who should any Croatian be supporting in this match?"
The former Rijeka and Gorica boss particularly highlighted his expectations for the Whites' captain, while also warning about the specific conditions in Lithuania.
"It's tricky to talk about a match that will be played on artificial turf, but it's time for Marko Livaja to step up and show that he is Marko Livaja."
Sopić confirmed he would be watching the match live from the stands: "I'm going to the match, I'll watch it live with the coaching staff and people from my club."
