Toni Silić: Pafos Left Us Breathless, but Also Pointless
Hajduk fell 2-1 in Varaždin in the first round of the SuperSport HNL, marking only the fourth time in 35 seasons that the Whites have stumbled at the start of the championship.
Hajduk fell 2-1 in Varaždin in the first round of the SuperSport HNL, marking only the fourth time in 35 seasons that the Whites have stumbled at the start of the championship.
Hajduk began the new SuperSport HNL season with a 2-1 away defeat to Varaždin on August 2, 2026. After being eliminated from the Europa League by Pafos in the second qualifying round with an aggregate score of 4-2, the Split-based team suffered another blow that deepened the crisis at the very start of the season.
The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute with a goal from Mario Mladenovski following a set piece. Hajduk responded quickly, with Rokas Pukštas leveling the score in the 56th minute. However, Varaždin regained the lead in the 62nd minute when Luka Mamić scored after a major error by the Split defense. In the 90th minute, Hajduk had a chance to equalize, but Josip Silić saved Marko Livaja's penalty.
Hajduk coach Gonzalo Garcia did not hide his dissatisfaction after the match. "When we played against Pafos, we knew they were a tough opponent. We played a very good first match, and in the second, we lost in the last second. Today we started poorly; in the first half, we lacked energy. In the second half, we were better, we had control and created chances, but we conceded two stupid goals from set pieces. We dominated and created opportunities, but the goals we conceded cost us," Garcia said for Lika Online.
The Spanish coach made as many as four substitutions at halftime, which he explained as a need to refresh the team after an exhausting European match. "The players are still tired from Thursday. We use many players precisely because of that rhythm. I'm not disappointed with the second half, but I'm angry about the way we conceded both goals. Such things must not happen to us," he stated.
Hajduk goalkeeper Toni Silić, whose brother Josip stood on the opposite side and saved Livaja's penalty, was honest in assessing his team's performance. "We entered the first half without energy; we had maybe two chances. Varaždin waited for us on the counter, and at halftime, we agreed we had to be more energetic. We conceded the first goal from a set piece, the second from an individual error. In the end, we didn't deserve more. The defeat against Pafos left its mark; this match was an ideal opportunity to wash away the bitter taste, but we didn't succeed," Toni Silić said for Index.hr.
Despite the loss, Silić has already turned his attention to the next challenge. "I defend the colors of my club; unfortunately, I didn't manage to score. Now we'll analyze this, and in four days, show character, win, and then advance in Split," he concluded.
As reported by Tportal, Hajduk has lost their opening league match only four times in 35 HNL seasons. The Whites have traditionally started championship seasons well, but this time Varaždin spoiled that streak. Before this year's defeat, it had happened only three times. The last was in the 2021/22 season when Lokomotiva won 2-1 at Poljud, in the 2009/10 season when Osijek won 1-0 at Gradski vrt, and in July 2001 when Varteks celebrated 2-0 in Varaždin.
Hajduk now has little time to recover. Already on Wednesday, they will face Žalgiris away in the first leg of the Conference League third qualifying round. "It will be a tough trip. We're tired, but that's no excuse. We have to be better," coach Garcia said.
