Raków Częstochowa snatched a 2-2 draw away to Hajduk Split in their UEFA Conference League playoff tie thanks to a 95th-minute equalizer from Lamine Diaby-Fadiga.
The French striker scored deep into stoppage time after Hajduk had been reduced to ten men following the 55th-minute red card of midfielder Adrion Pajaziti for a heavy foul on Diaby-Fadiga.
The result gives the Polish Ekstraklasa side strong hope heading into the return leg of the tie in Częstochowa on Thursday, August 27, with a place in the UEFA Conference League main phase at stake.
Absences, returns and early Hajduk goal
Raków entered the match at Stadion Poljud without offensive midfielder Patryk Makuch, who had traveled back to Poland to be present for the birth of his child. Makuch has scored four goals this season, including two in domestic league action and two in the Conference League. His absence was a major blow to the visitors, but Croatian defender Fran Tudor returned to the starting lineup after missing Raków's previous two matches against Swedish side Hammarby and domestic opponents Cracovia.
For Tudor, the match in Split was an emotional return. The right-back spent four years at Hajduk and made 139 appearances before joining Raków on a free transfer in December 2019. Tudor told Croatian media before the game that simply approaching Poljud made his heart beat faster. However, he faced immediate pressure in the fifth minute when a mistake in his own penalty box caused scramble near the Raków goal. Hajduk head coach Gonzalo Garcia demanded a penalty kick, but Slovak referee Michal Očenaš ordered play to continue.
Tudor recovered ten minutes later by making a key intervention inside his own area to stop a dangerous Hajduk counter-attack. But the home side took the lead in the 21st minute when Sanyang Bamba, left unmonitored by the Raków defense on the right wing, crossed into the penalty area for an unmarked Michele Šego to head past goalkeeper Kacper Trelowski.
Raków response and second-half setback
Raków responded quickly in the 27th minute. Left-back Eric Otieno made a direct run down the wing to the touchline and delivered a cross into the box, where Mahir Emreli headed the ball into the net to level the score at 1-1.
The Polish club almost took the lead before the break when Oliwier Kwiatkowski struck a long-range shot. Hajduk goalkeeper Toni Silić could only spill the effort into the path of Michael Ameyaw, whose follow-up effort hit the post by centimeters.
Hajduk regained the lead two minutes after half-time. In the 47th minute, Dalisson capitalized on open space left by the Częstochowa defense to hit a precise long-range shot into the corner of the net, leaving Trelowski with no chance to make a save.
Red card and stoppage-time equalizer
Hajduk pushed to extend their lead against a stunned Raków defense, but lacked precision in front of goal. The game shifted dramatically in the 55th minute when Pajaziti committed a severe foul on Diaby-Fadiga. Referee Očenaš immediately showed the Albanian player a straight red card. Pajaziti expressed surprise at the decision, but was forced to leave the pitch, giving Raków a numerical advantage for the final 35 minutes.
Raków dominated possession as the match progressed but struggled to create clear opportunities. Hajduk nearly scored a third on the break when home favorite Marko Livaja forced a sharp save from Trelowski. Raków mounted late pressure in the 90th minute, when substitute Tomasz Pieńko saw a powerful shot saved by Silić before Diaby-Fadiga hit the crossbar.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Diaby-Fadiga produced an individual run into the Hajduk penalty box, took advantage of hesitation among the Croatian defenders, and scored to secure the 2-2 draw moments before the final whistle.
Raków Częstochowa lineup: Trelowski, Svarnas (Debohi 46), Racovițan, Tudor (Borsson 67), Otieno (Silva 58), Kochergin (Brusberg 74), Repka, Ameyaw, Kwiatkowski (Pieńko 58), Diaby-Fadiga, Emreli.
Hajduk Split lineup: Silić, Sigur, Maresić, Raci, Hrgović, Pukstas, Pajaziti, Sanyang (Šutalo 68), Dalisson (Melniak 68), Sotiček (del Moral 61), Šego (Livaja 76).
