Dinamo took the lead in the 16th minute with a goal by Majer, and Livaja equalized in the 44th minute. Diamantakos hit the crossbar in the final minutes of the match.
Dinamo came to Poljud with the strongest possible lineup, hoping to secure the points needed to defend the Croatian championship title. On the other hand, Hajduk needed a victory to keep pace in the fight for Europe after a win against Rijeka last weekend.
Hajduk opened the match well and had a chance to take the lead in the first 20 seconds. Kačaniklić received an excellent long ball and ran on the right side. He rushed into the penalty area and shot diagonally, but Livaković came out and closed his corner.
Dinamo made a lot of mistakes in the opening, but the first cardinal mistake was made by Marco Fossati, who Dinamo quickly punished. The Hajduk player lost the ball near the goal line; Petković took advantage of his mistake and entered the penalty area. Petković found Majer, who hit the opposite corner with his head from the top of the box.
Additional pressure from Dinamo was expected after the lead but they left the ball to Hajduk and waited for counters. Hajduk played smart and controlled the match.
In the 33rd minute, Jurić nailed the penalty area, but Stefan Simić shot straight at Livaković. In the next attack, Ivanušec shot well from about 20 meters, but Kalinić defended even better.
Hajduk played better nearing halftime, and in the 41st minute, they had another great chance. Livaja masterfully played Jurić, but Livaković reacted superbly.
Hajduk deservedly equalized a minute before the end of the first half after a big mistake by Dinamo’s defense. Lauritsen reacted desperately, Theophile lost focus on Livaja, and Hajduk’s best player scored for 1:1.
Ivanušec was subbed off at halftime for Kastrati, and Tramezzani played Diamantakos instead of Ljubičić.
The tempo of the second half was dull until the 61st minute when Petković shot high over the goal. Kastrati missed three minutes later.
Hajduk, who played well in the first hour, started to lose strength, which became more and more obvious as the match came to an end. However, Diamantakos hit the crossbar in the final minutes.
After three victories in the previous three clashes with Hajduk this season, Dinamo failed to achieve maximum performance and almost mathematically secured the title but entered the last four rounds with a seven-point advantage over Osijek.
Hajduk has not inched much closer to third place, which certainly leads to Europe.
Source: Index.hr
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