Hajduk Split shared the spoils with Raków Częstochowa in a Conference League playoff round match at Stadion Poljud on Wednesday evening. The hosts took a 2-1 lead through M. Sego and D. de Almeida, but Raków came from the dead to snatch a point in the dying seconds. The result leaves both sides with something to ponder about that 2-2 draw.
Sego opened the scoring in the twenty-first minute, and Emreli levelled six minutes later. De Almeida then restored Hajduk's advantage shortly after the break, and it looked as though the hosts might take their first win of the season. To be fair, they had the rhythm, but by then the game was about to turn.
Everything shifted in the fifty-fifth minute when Adrion Pajaziti received a red card. Hajduk played with ten men for the final thirty-five minutes, and Raków sensed blood. The hosts tightened things up defensively, but the numerical disadvantage began to tell.
Raków struck twice in stoppage time through L. Diaby-Fadiga, first in the ninetieth minute and then again at the fifth minute of added time. The away end never stopped during that frantic finale. We had backed the hosts, but the match went another way — that red card broke our confidence.
The statistics tell a story of efficiency over dominance. Hajduk held 60 per cent possession and registered 115 attacks, yet only two shots found the target. Raków, with 40 per cent possession, hit 50 per cent accuracy from their eleven attempts. There is unrest in the dressing room if you believe the numbers.
The draw keeps both teams in contention for the playoff places. Hajduk remain in the hunt despite the setback, while Raków showed they can punish a reduced side. The goal difference stands level, and Thursday's second leg will decide everything.