Hajduk Split secured a 2:0 victory over ŽNK Mura in the UEFA Women's Champions League second qualifying round finals on Friday evening. The Croatian side took control in the second half and saw out the match despite playing with ten players for the final twenty minutes. It was a clean result for the visitors, who have been preparing for European competition all season.
The first half passed without incident, though both sides showed signs of nervousness. L. Kavas picked up a yellow card in the thirty-first minute, and A. Dulcic followed with a booking of her own forty-three minutes in. Hajduk made three changes around the hour mark, bringing on L. Vlastelica, S. Gerbec and N. Brnic in quick succession. By then the visitors were looking to impose their rhythm on the game.
And here's the thing about these qualifiers — moments like the sixtieth minute matter more than possession figures. B. Zivkovic broke the deadlock, and suddenly Mura had to respond. The hosts grew increasingly frantic, while Hajduk stayed compact and patient. L. Kukavica and I. Bukac both went into the referee's book in the following minutes as tensions rose.
The turning point came in the seventy-sixth minute when L. Kavas received her second yellow and was sent off. Hajduk then played the second half a man up, though they didn't need to. A. Dulcic was replaced by A. Dulcic at eighty minutes, and N. Hrga came on for the final ten. To be fair, Mura created little after going down to ten players.
A. Bakalar added a second goal from the penalty spot in the eighty-eighth minute, and that was enough to seal the tie. The visitors paid for a sloppy opening but settled into their game after the break. One mistake ends it in these competitions, and Kavas's red card changed everything.
Mura now face elimination from the tournament. Their recent results have been mixed — a 1:3 loss to Farul Constanta on Thursday and a string of heavy defeats earlier in the year. Hajduk, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run heading into the next round after a 2:3 defeat to Austria Vienna just three days ago. They have one step closer to the group stages.