On a rainy Sunday evening, in front of more than 20,000 spectators, a solid game unfolded after the rainfall and the flooding of the pitch. Once the field was dried, the match kicked off.

Two excellent coaches with similar football philosophies faced off: Gonzalo Garcia, known for his active build-up approach, and Goran Tomić, a calm coach who favors proactive and possession-oriented football. It was intriguing to see whether Garcia, the former manager of Istra, understood his previous team better or if they had a deeper understanding of him. Additionally, we were curious to see what innovations Garcia had prepared for this match.

Conversely, it was also interesting to observe any potential changes in Istra’s style of play under Tomić.

After two matches in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, Garcia decided to adopt a box-shaped midfield. Without Livaja, he replaced a central attacker with Benrahou, using him as a false nine, which made the box midfield formation possible. He adhered to his standardized build-up patterns involving the goalkeeper, regardless of the opponent’s pressure.

Defensively, Hajduk’s structure resembled a 4-2-3-1 formation, mirroring Istra’s system.

In contrast, Tomić implemented man-marking in midfield. Although Istra played in a 4-1-2-3 formation, one of the central defenders (either Koski or Nasroui) would follow Benrahou or Kalik into midfield, prompting both fullbacks (Kadušić and Heister) to narrow their positions. This adjustment transformed their structure into a 3-2-2-3 formation.

While the match was tactically interesting and featured some peculiar moments—particularly when Hajduk’s midfield managed to navigate Istra’s high defensive line, and when Kalik and Benrahou made effective runs and received passes or took shots from between the lines—Hajduk scored a goal from a penalty kick and another from a set-piece extension. Istra, meanwhile, capitalized on a mistake made by Hajduk during their build-up.

Although Brajković and Durdov made impressive runs and had one-on-one attempts, and Benrahou and Kalik posed significant threats from between the lines, the match was ultimately decided by set pieces. While it was an intriguing tactical encounter, it lacked individual brilliance on the pitch. The poor weather and heavy rain may have influenced the players, although the pitch maintenance staff did an excellent job of repairing the field after the rain.

Since joining Hajduk, Garcia has promoted many homegrown players, utilizing proactive football and achieving good results so far. Don’t stop, build it up!