Hajduk Split 4 Osijek 0
Hajduk Split thrashed table-toppers Osijek 4-0 in the HNL regular season on Sunday evening, a result that sent a clear message across the league. The hosts took control almost immediately, striking nine minutes in through E. Brruti, and never really looked back. To be fair, Osijek's evening turned sour quickly when Senad Mustafic was shown a red card on thirty-four minutes, leaving them a man down for the rest of the game. By then the hosts had already seized momentum.
What followed was a match Hajduk managed with increasing confidence. M. Livaja doubled the lead in the fifty-fourth minute before A. Sanyang added a third in the eighty-third. S. Hrgovic wrapped things up on ninety, and the final whistle brought relief as much as celebration. The visitors had little to offer after the dismissal and found no answer to the pressure.
There were plenty of changes made by both sides in the second half. Hajduk brought on N. Omerovic, M. Livaja, A. Guram and E. Brruti in quick succession around the sixty-fourth minute, while Osijek responded with substitutions of L. Hodak, A. Sutalo and A. Leon. The game opened up, and Hajduk's depth showed when they went looking for more.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Hajduk held 55 per cent possession and registered seven shots on target compared to Osijek's four, though their conversion rate was sharper. The visitors managed more dribbles, fifteen to thirteen, but failed to create anything meaningful — just one big chance against three for the hosts. When you're down to ten men, even those numbers don't mean much.
What matters now is what this does to the table. Osijek sit top with twelve points from five games, but that lead feels smaller after a defeat like this. Hajduk are fourth with ten points, and an unbeaten run extends. The gap between them is one point, and the season is young enough for either side to change direction.
