August 10, 2023 – Rijeka, Osijek, and Hajduk kicked off the 3rd round of UEFA Conference League qualifiers on Thursday.
A big day for Croatian football on Thursday as European qualifiers marked the calendar. Rijeka and Osijek were the first to kick off on Thursday. Rijeka visited B36 Torshavn on the Faroe Islands, and Osijek played against Adana Demirspor in Turkey. Hajduk and PAOK played at Poljud to close out the first leg of 3rd round qualifiers for Croatian clubs.
Rijeka v. B36 Torshavn
Rijeka beat B36 Torshavn 3-1. Torshavn took the lead with a goal by Hannes Agnarsson. Niko Janković equalized from a penalty kick, and Bruno Goda and Stjepan Radeljić scored for the turnaround. The return match is in a week at Rujevica stadium.
Rijeka reached this stage of the qualifiers by beating Kosovo club Dukagjini, while Torshavn first knocked out Paide from Estonia and then Haverfordwest from Wales. The winner of this two-match play-off will face Lille, who is the big favorite.
Osijek vs. Adana Demirspor
Osijek lost 5-1 on the road in Turkey against Adana Demirspor. The big difference in the quality of these two rivals was visible already in the first 15 minutes when Adana gained a two-goal advantage with loud support from the stands. The first two goals for Adana were scored by Jonas Svensson (3) and Yusuf Sari (16). Cherif Ndiaye (52, 67-11m) found the back of Osijek’s net twice before Šime Gržan (73-11m) reduced the score to 4-1. Yusuf Erdogan (88) scored for the final 5-1. Osijek now needs a miracle next week at Opus Arena to get into the playoffs,
Hajduk v. PAOK
The start of the dream season for Hajduk is the best possible introduction to their European campaign, with high hopes of advancing to the Conference League group stage. Hajduk last played in the group stage of a European competition in 2010. Poljud was at full capacity tonight, with the away section filled to the last spot as PAOK fans were not permitted in this round.
An incredible start for Hajduk saw two chances for Livaja, a side net for Mlakar, and the post for Sigur all within the first 12 minutes. Hajduk’s defense kept PAOK from threatening too much, and the first half ended 0-0. Another fierce start for Hajduk in the second half with a brilliant Livaja chance in the 46th minute, a Mlakar header in the 52nd, and another blast at the post. There were more chances in front of the keeper or shots fired over the goal, but none found the back of the net and the match ended 0-0. Hajduk visits Thessaloniki next week for the return match.
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