Prediction: Ruzomberok vs Hajduk Split

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 73/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Ruzomberok welcomes Hajduk Split at Štadión pod Čebraťom in the first leg of the Conference League semi-final qualification game. Despite being given a second chance to progress further, the Slovakia outfit needs a great result in front of their fans before heading to Croatia to settle the tie.

Ruzomberok

Starting their first-ever European journey in 2001 when they suffered an early exit in the UEFA Cup, Ruzomberok’s presence at the European stage improved significantly after reaching the qualification rounds five times in the last six seasons. However, despite this obvious progress, the Slovakia Cup winner managed to go beyond the first qualification round twice, a performance they look to improve by knocking out Croatian heavyweights, Hajduk Split.

The hosts had an impressive output last season after winning the Slovak Cup for the second time in their history at the end of a difficult battle against Trnava (1-0 final score), sending Ruzomberok to the Europa League qualifiers. While starting their European campaign on the front foot after knocking out Tobol in the first round (6-2 on aggregate), the Rose had a reality check against experienced Turkish side Trabzonspor.

The underdog status against Trabzonspor was confirmed in the first leg as Ruzomberok diminished their progress in the next stage following a 2-0 defeat in front of their fans, leaving the Turkish side to finish the job with a second-leg win (1-0). However, despite this setback, Ondrej Smetana’s team continue their European journey in the Conference League when they face an uphill battle against Hajduk Split.

Furthermore, Ruzomberok’s disappointing results at the European stage came as no surprise following a disastrous pre-season that extended to the official games with only a pair of wins from 11 games. Facing another difficult task, the hosts must up their level for a positive result against Hajduk Split that will keep them in the tie before travelling to Croatia.

Team News

Veteran centre-back Jan Maslo is the only player unfit to face the Hajduk Split. Considering the visitors’ upfront quality, Ondrej Smetana is expected to set up his team defensively looking to explore counter-attacking options. Furthermore, defender Matus Maly who played at the highest level against Tobol when he scored a double will be keen to replicate his output against the Croatians.

Hajduk Split

A regular presence at the European football stages since the 1950s, Hajduk Split failed to make an impression in the 21st Century after securing a single presence in the Europa League group stage (2011). Although they remained a top contender domestically, the visitors’ last four consecutive missed opportunities to reach the Conference League group stage was a major disappointment.

However, the situation seems different now following heavy investments in the squad as the owners appointed former AC Milan legend, Gennaro Gattuso head coach. Furthermore, alongside Ivan Perisic who returned to his boyhood club, signing Ivan Rakitic was another great addition to Gatusso’s team. The former Champions League winner returned to Croatia after a short spell in the Saudi Pro League, adding more value to Hajduk’s midfield.

While Dinamo Zagreb is expected to remain the dominant force in HNL, Gennaro Gattuso’s appointment should close the gap towards the current champions that extended last term to 14 points. With a nearly perfect pre-season (W5D1L1), Hajduk Split continued on this path in the Conference League qualifying games against HB Thorsavn, after progressing further following a difficult battle against the Faroe Island’s outfit (2-0 aggregate).

Furthermore, the White’s perfect start in the Croatia championship with a 2-1 home win is the best result before heading to Slovakia where the visitors aim to get a lead at the end of the final whistle.

Team News

Gennaro Gatusso is not able to count on Mihael Zaper service. The young defensive midfielder remains sidelined after recovering from knee surgery in February. Having more quality in the centre of the park, the visitors are expected to be in control of the game, with most actions expected to take part in Ruzomberok’s half.

Key factors to consider

• Ruzomberok has a disappointing start to the season (W1D1L3)
• The hosts were knocked out from the Europea League by Trabzonspor (3-0 agg.)
• Hajduk Split appointed Gennaro Gattuso as head coach
• The visitors won 6 of their last 7 games

Conclusion

Following the recent investments in the squad that returned great results since the pre-season, we expect Gennaro Gatusso’s team to return to Croatia with an advantage. Moreover, the visitors are capable of inserting their dominance and control of the game having quality players all over the pitch that can make a difference at any given moment.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 73/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet