Vitória de Guimarães' Europa Conference League campaign has ended despite a 1-0 win against Hajduk Split in the third qualifying round second leg.
Anderson Silva gave the Portuguese club an early lead, but they were unable to square the tie after piling on the pressure for most of the match.
Os Conquistadores competed well but Moreno Teixeira's side showed they are a work in progress, particularly their attackers who are going to need a lot more time to work on their combination play.
PortuGOAL's Matthew Marshall reports from Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques.
Perfect start in Portugal
Vitória raced out of the blocks and took the lead in the 5th minute. Ryoya Ogawa’s cross found Anderson Silva, he wasn’t closed down and unleashed a left footed volley that Lovre Kalinić couldn’t prevent from going into the top corner.
The crowd in Guimarães were going nuts as their team continued to pile on the pressure, Ogawa frequently bombing down the left wing.
Hajduk were looking like a shadow of the side that dominated the first leg in Croatia and had to wait until the 23rd minute for their first chance.
Emir Sahiti’s defence splitting pass saw David Čolina run onto the ball and lift it over Bruno Varela onto the roof of the net, Čolina with another chance minutes later that he headed over the bar.
Anderson Silva glanced a header wide after a clever free kick routine but chances were proving hard to come by. Vitória's wingers Rúben Lameiras and Antonio Cortés were unable to get involved in the game.
The first signs of hostility came on the stroke of half time after Varela attempted to pick a seemingly injured Sahiti off the ground. The Guimarães goalkeeper, Tiago Silva and Josip Vuković were booked.
Jota tries to provide a spark
Jota Silva replaced Cortés at the break and immediately provided more threat out wide. Anderson Silva’s shot was deflected wide before Matheus Índio almost got on the end of Tiago Silva’s corner.
Hajduk Split’s intentions were clear, frequently wasting time and content to wait for counter attacking opportunities.
Moreno Teixeira made two changes in the 69th minute with Nicolas Janvier and André Silva replacing Matheus Índio and Anderson Silva. They were leaving themselves exposed however, Stipe Biuk’s cross close to picking out top scorer Marko Livaja.
All the ball but no action
Guimarães continued to enjoy plenty of ball in the attacking third but were not creating chances. At times it seemed they were on a completely different wave length.
The mood inside Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques changed dramatically in the 77th minute when Tiago Silva received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Filip Krovinovic.
Ogawa made way for Nélson Luz which provided another threat out wide. Lameiras shot straight at Kalinić and Jota volleyed over the bar, Moreno’s last throw of the dice bringing on Mikel Villanueva for Maga and throwing André Amaro up front.
Guimarães created corners in added time but it wasn’t to be, the 3-1 deficit earned in Croatia in the first leg too much to overcome.
More poor behaviour Portugal
Hajduk Split’s tactics, particularly in the second half, were clearly annoying and frustrating for the home support, but once again we saw 'supporters' inside Portuguese football stadiums crossing the line.
It started with the same group of ultras that violently clashed with riot police in the first leg against Puskás Akadémia. Hajduk were unable to take a corner in the closing stages due to plastic seats being hurled onto the pitch.
The 'supporters' were only hurting the chances of their team by wasting valuable time. There was an ugly melee between the players and support staff after the final whistle, largely instigated by Hajduk Split, the seat throwing continuing on the opposite side of the pitch as the visitors attempted to reach the dressing room.
Line Up
Vitória de Guimarães (4-3-3): Bruno Varela - Miguel Maga (Mikel Villanueva 89’), André Amaro, Abdul Mumin, Ryoya Ogawa (Nélson Luz 81’) - André Almeida, Matheus Índio (Nicolas Janvier 69’), Tiago Silva - Antoñín Cortés (Jota Silva 46’), Anderson Silva (André Silva 69’), Rúben Lameiras
Unused substitutes: Celton Biai, Hélder Sá, Afonso Freitas, Ibrahima Bamba, Dani Silva, Pedro Oliveira
Head Coach: Moreno Teixeira / João Aroso
Goals:
[1-0] - Anderson Silva 5’
