By: Modou Lamin Beyai
Gambia midfielder Hamza Barry put up a MOM performance for visiting Hajduk Split who lost 2-0 to Everton in the UEFA Europa League play-off match in Liverpool.
Hajduk, who finished third in the Croatian top-flight last season, pressed more in the second half with former GPA midfielder Hamza, who was their best player on the night, creating opportunities but the Premier League side held on to a vital clean sheet.
Split have lost four of their last five European games against English opposition and the Croatian side have lost on six of their seven visits to England in European competition, failing to score on five of their last six trips and it wasn’t hard to see why as Everton dominated the first period from start to finish.
Elsewhere in the same competition, striker Ali Sowe and his Albanian club KF Skënderbeu were held to a 1-1 draw by Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia with the Scorpions forward starting.
The second leg of both ties will be played in Croatia and Albania respectively next week Thursday.
