There was a match: Wisła Kraków - SV Mattersburg 1:0

Wisła Kraków will soon face Rapid Vienna in a two-legged tie. To mark the occasion, we continue our "There Was a Match..." series, looking back at Wisła Kraków's last match against Austrian side SV Mattersburg.

It was August 2006. Just like now, qualifying for the UEFA Cup group stage, the equivalent of today's Europa League, was underway. The Krakow team began this year's edition in the second round. The draw determined that their European adventure would begin with an away match in Vienna. However, this wasn't about the now-better-known teams like SK Rapid or FK Austria, but about SV Mattersburg, then experiencing its heyday – a club from a small nearby town that played its cup matches in the capital.

The opening clash between the two teams at the iconic Ernst-Happel-Stadion ended in a 1-1 draw. The match is remembered primarily as a close contest, a fact confirmed by the fact that neither side finished the match with 11 players. Interestingly, this was the first time in Wisła's history that foreigners dominated the starting lineup. Dan Petrescu's idea of ​​combining youth with experience, however, did not entirely succeed, as the pundits' favorite Wisła ultimately failed to secure a goal advantage. All would be revealed a week later in Krakow.

It was already clear that the second half of the match against SV Mattersburg wouldn't be a walk in the park. The White Star coach emphasized that the key to a tactical victory would be finding a balance between defense and attack. He expected the players to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the second leg. Captain Arkadiusz Głowacki also spoke in a similar tone before the match: "One match decides whether the season is successful or not. Therefore, concentration must be at its peak." A thorough analysis of the opponent's recent matches was conducted, but the details of the game plan remained a secret. Zieńczuk and Paweł Brożek, responsible for driving the attack, could only assure the fans that it would by no means be a goalless draw.

Contrary to expectations, the numerous Wisła fans didn't attack their opponents at the first whistle. Despite the enthusiastic support, the pitch displayed a largely chess-like atmosphere and control over the match. The opening goal, however, came in the 23rd minute thanks to a one-on-one effort between Marek Zieńczuk and Piotr Brożek. The midfielder delivered a superb pass from midfield, and Brożek's shot into the far corner proved flawless. To the delight of the crowd, it was 1-0!

The opponents were able to respond quickly. After a precise free-kick, visiting center-back Sedloski jumped well to head the ball, but his shot hit the outside of the net. A similar instance of the much-talked-about lack of concentration was never repeated by Wisła. The first 45 minutes of the match soon passed without major excitement and, above all, safely for the hosts.

After the break, the visitors from the town of Mattersburg began to assert themselves more. However, they had no choice – only a goal could have extended the match to an additional half-hour of extra time. At times, the Austrian side were even able to seal the entire Wisła team inside the penalty area. However, this didn't amount to much, as the defense, led by Cléber, who had been signed before the season, was unbreakable that evening. The players in red shirts sometimes created problems for themselves by playing the ball from the back inaccurately. A dissatisfied Dariusz Dudka, who was covering the right flank for the Wawel team that day, pointed this out in a post-match interview.

Still, the minutes on the clock seemed to tick away at a rapid pace for the visitors. It's no wonder fatigue and nerves began to set in, which, just like in Vienna, translated into a growing number of fouls. With the nominal wingers Mijailović and Błaszczykowski joining the defense, the attacking opposition seemed helpless. The latter later received a curious compliment from the opposing captain, Kuehbauer, who called the young Kuba "the Polish Beckham." It's unclear whether this was a show of appreciation for the midfielder's play or a sarcastic comment on certain similarities in appearance. It could be considered an accurate prediction of his later impressive career. The visitors were ultimately undone by Jean Paulista, who was introduced for the final period. The Brazilian's activity deprived the Austrians of any reason to pursue a result.

The frustration of the relegated opponents began to show in the closing stages. First, Mörz received a red card in the 86th minute, and after the final whistle, Jakub Błaszczykowski was subjected to an unsportsmanlike challenge by Fuchs, for which the referee drew another red card. A scuffle ensued on the pitch, a fitting summary of the match that had ended moments earlier. The visitors had considerable criticism of the refereeing, which was completely unfounded, as Wisła seemed to be the wronged side in this respect – in the 75th minute, Malžinskas had missed a clear penalty on Paweł Brożek, and moments earlier, he had disallowed a correctly awarded goal by substitute Paulista. However, this mattered little at this point, as Wisła Kraków qualified for the next round of the UEFA Cup with the final result.