Hajduk hoping to sew up Anderlecht success
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Article summary
HNK Hajduk Split's only ever home win in the group stage of a UEFA competition came against RSC Anderlecht, giving the Croatian side reason to be confident ahead of their reunion in Group G.
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Having sealed their only home success in the group stage of a UEFA club competition last time the clubs met in Croatia, HNK Hajduk Split have reason for optimism as RSC Anderlecht call again in UEFA Europa League Group G.
Previous meetings
• The clubs' only previous meetings came in the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League group stage, when Ivan Katalinić's Hajduk triumphed 2-1 in Split and drew 0-0 with Jan Boskamp's side in Brussels.
• The teams for their last meeting at the Stadion Poljud on 19 October 1994 were:
Hajduk: Gabrić, Buturović, Pralija, Hibić, Peršon, Andrijašević, Vulić, Rapaić, Erceg (Vukas, 86), Asanović, Mornar (Vučević, 56).
Anderlecht: De Wilde, Crasson, Rutjes, Suray, Nwanu, Walem, Weber, Zetterberg, Bosman, Peiremans, Boffin.
• That match remains Hajduk's only home win in the group stage of a major UEFA club competition.
Match background
• Hajduk's record in ten games against Belgian sides reads W6 D1 L3 (W4 D0 L1 in Split).
• Anderlecht's record in six fixtures against Croatian sides is W2 D1 L3 (W1 D0 L2 in Croatia).
• Hajduk won both of their home assignments in qualifying this season by three-goal margins.
• A 3-1 loss at Hamburger SV in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 16 was Anderlecht's only defeat in their last seven European away games.
Team facts
• Hired for his third spell as Hajduk boss in early 2010, Stanko Poklepović played for and coached his current side's neighbours RNK Split before first becoming Hajduk coach in 1984. Since then, he has led a host of clubs from the former Yugoslavia as well as the Croatia and Iran national selections, APOEL FC in Cyprus, Ferencvárosi TC in Hungary and a clutch of Iranian outfits.
• A striker, largely for Diegem Sport, Ariël Jacobs worked with Belgium's youth teams before assisting Guy Thys as national team boss from 1986 to 1989. He won the Belgian Cup with RAA Louviéroise in 2003 and took sole command at Anderlecht in November 2007, following a spell as Frank Vercauteren's assistant. He won his first league title with the club in 2009/10.