SPLIT, Croatia (Interstat) — Marin Soticek scored in the 55th minute and Hajduk Split defeated Ajax 2-1 at Stadion Poljud on Thursday. The game took place at Stadion Poljud in Split. Hajduk Split was the home team, and Ajax was the visiting team. The home side took the lead in the first half, saw its advantage erased after the break, then answered quickly to secure the win in the competition match. Soticek was the top performer for Hajduk Split with one goal and one assist. Abdoulie Bamba Sanyang also scored for the home team. Davy Klaassen scored Ajax’s goal.

Hajduk Split opened the scoring in the 37th minute when Sanyang found the net. The home team carried that lead into halftime after Alejandro del Moral received a yellow card in the 45th minute. Ajax equalized in the 53rd minute through Klaassen. The equalizer came after the break. The response from Hajduk Split was immediate. Soticek scored in the 55th minute to restore the lead, and the Croatian side held on from there. The match was level for only two minutes between Klaassen’s goal and Soticek’s winner. The result was decided by Soticek’s second-half goal.

Michele Sego was booked in the 60th minute for Hajduk Split. The home side made its first substitution in the 69th minute when del Moral came off. Ajax made three changes in the 76th minute, with Klaassen, Amourricho Ouazane and Viktor Tsygankov all leaving the field. Julio Torrents entered for Ajax in the 77th minute. The late substitutions could not change the score. Ajax made its substitutions after the 53rd-minute equalizer. Hajduk Split protected its one-goal lead for the final 35 minutes.

Soticek played the full match and recorded one goal and one assist. Sanyang also played the entire match and scored once. Klaassen scored for Ajax before being substituted in the 76th minute. Thilo Kehrer provided an assist for Ajax and completed the match. Sego contributed an assist and received a yellow card. Those performances reflected the key contributions for both sides. Soticek’s goal and assist made him the top performer for Hajduk Split. Klaassen’s goal was Ajax’s only score.

Ajax is now without a win in one competition match this season, while Hajduk Split has one win in one competition match. Across all competitions, Ajax is 4-2-3 and Hajduk Split is 2-0. The result left the visitors still searching for their first competition win and gave the home side a winning start in the competition. Ajax has four wins, two losses and three draws overall this season. Hajduk Split has two wins and no losses overall.

Earlier this season, Ajax drew 1-1 with Nijmegen, drew 2-2 with Excelsior, beat Willem II 5-1, won 5-1 at Sittard, lost 3-1 to PSV, won 4-0 at Telstar, drew 2-2 with Heerenveen and won 2-0 at Zwolle. Hajduk Split’s previous match this season was a 2-1 home win over Dinamo Zagreb. Ajax’s upcoming schedule includes a trip to Groningen, an away match at Jong Sparta Rotterdam, a home match against AZ, a trip to Twente, home matches against Den Haag, a trip to Feyenoord and a home match against Utrecht. Ajax will also face Den Haag, Feyenoord and Utrecht again later in the listed schedule. Hajduk Split’s next competition outing follows the win over Ajax.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Hajduk Split 2, Ajax 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave Hajduk Split a 56.2 percent probability to win. Ajax was installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -0.75. The total score of 3 went over the over/under line of 3.5.