- Hajduk are the clear form team here with 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat from their last 5 games.
- MSK Zilina are in poor form, with 2 wins and 3 defeats from their last 5 matches.
- Hajduk are 1 win, 3 draws and 1 defeat from 5 away in all competitions, while Žilina are 2 wins and 2 defeats from 4 at home.
Can Hajduk follow up in Slovakia?
HNK Hajduk Split have followed up their 6-3 victory over Vukovar 1991 last weekend with a 2-0 win over MSK Zilina in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Qualification tie. Gonzalo Garcia's men are in top form and have been pressing their opponents at pace throughout, so they will fancy their chances of locking up the win on Thursday.
Gonzalo Garcia took charge of Hajduk on 1 July 2025 and has transformed them into a high-octane, high-pressing 4-2-3-1 side that can be a nightmare to play against. It's a young team, but they're buzzing with confidence after back-to-back wins and with Dalisson de Almeida, who has 1 goal in 1 UEFA Europa League Qualifying match, having the sharpness to finish off chances.
Pavol Stano has been in charge of Žilina since 11 July 2025, so his team have been together for a while. They're a compact 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 outfit that generally sit in their 4-3-3 shape to try and get on the transition, so this match has all the hallmarks of press vs counter.
Hajduk have the edge
Hajduk's game plan, which revolves around a high pressing game, vertical play through the thirds and fullbacks providing the width, will test the discipline of this Žilina side. The visitors have the form, momentum and game plan to come away from Slovakia with a result and we're taking them to do exactly that at 1.99, with the 3.36 available on the hosts and 3.65 Draw price offering little value.
This feels like a European qualifying tie that could be tight, but the visitors have the momentum and we believe they can keep the tie under control. Hajduk have scored 6 goals in their last 5 away games across all competitions and that should ensure they remain a threat in the second leg, while Žilina's home numbers are average with 2 wins and 2 defeats from 4 in all competitions. That suggests this could open up if they get dragged into a track meet, but we're still going with the more likely winner.
MSK Zilina have lost their last 3 in a row and gone 0-2 down to both Hajduk and Podbrezova in their 2 most recent matches, so they don't come into this game with any momentum. Hajduk, on the other hand, are 5 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats from 10 across all competitions since the start of the season, compared with Žilina's 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses.
