Kazimierz Moskal after #KFLWIS

On Thursday, July 18, Wisła Kraków secured promotion to the second round of the Europa League qualifying round. Coached by Kazimierz Moskal, they defeated FK Llapi 4-1 on aggregate and will face Rapid Vienna in just one week.

"In my opinion, the match wasn't of a great standard, but it was hard to expect a high level of play considering the temperature and the air in the stadium. Of course, it was twice as good as Wednesday's training session, because at least there was no sun. However, it was very muggy, and it was difficult to run on this muddy and volatile pitch. For me, it's not only important to advance to the next round, but above all, to win in the final minutes. We came here to fight for victory, to earn points in the standings, and we achieved that," began coach Kazimierz Moskal. "I was very happy when we executed what we did in training to open our goalmouth attack in this match. We created a perfect chance. We didn't manage to capitalize on it, but it's great that the players had the courage to play and it worked out," he said.

The White Star had a chance to tip the scales in their favor in the first half, but failed to capitalize on the opportunities. "We talked about this in the briefing: we're coming here for the rematch, we're not looking at the first-leg result, and we want to play as if it were the first match. We told ourselves it was 0-0, we wanted to score quickly, because that would make it easier for us to control the rest of the match. I think you have to capitalize on these opportunities in matches like these, because things can get tense later. But I also take into account that there are moments when it's hard to run and breathe. When you find yourself in a goal-scoring situation when your form is a little weaker, your legs are weak, and you can't find that precision. Sometimes—as Giannis demonstrated—you don't have to shoot hard, but precision is key. We talked about it in the locker room, that we should capitalize on a chance before halftime. It didn't work out, but after the break we scored two goals and we won, we advanced," he analyzed. "I think there was a moment in the second half when we started to play well, especially on the left flank, and it's clear that something was missing. I don't want to repeat myself, but this is only our fourth match. It's hard to be enthusiastic about this, but on the other hand, criticize strongly that something isn't working, because we're at a stage where we're building something," he continued.

After conceding a goal, the Kraków team played wisely, scoring a crucial goal late in the game. "You have to avoid situations like this in matches like this: you score, you're ahead, and you can't lose focus, you have to have a player alone in the penalty area and take a shot on goal, because that can get tense. After a goal like that, the game is like this: balls are flying, there's a bit of wind, a bit of chaos. Sometimes the referee might miss something or blow something he shouldn't, and it gets tense. That's how these games are, and the emotions that accompany them. I think that's why football is so attractive; you never know what might happen. Theoretically, when you're ahead and in control of the match, one situation can turn the tide. I also think there should have been a red card for the home team. For me, it was clearly a challenge to the legs. It was an incomprehensible decision, but oh well," he noted.

Giannis Kiakos put in a good performance in Kosovo, scoring the goal to make it 2-1 for Wisła. "It was a tactical change to strengthen the left side a bit defensively, because Giannis was actually brought in as a left back, and ultimately, I think he'll be competing with Rafał Mikulec for that position. He also played that position in the Kraków match, and after he won a corner, we scored to make it 2-0. Now he found himself in a good position and finished it off. Besides, Giannis can also play as a central midfielder, and as I said, that might not be good for the player, as he doesn't fully know his target position, but the most important thing is the team, and that's it," he analyzed.
Next Thursday, the R22 team will play Rapid Vienna. What kind of match can we expect? "The bar will definitely be raised. Rapid is a top-class team, and the attractiveness of the match will be higher both in Krakow and Vienna. We need to see how this team plays, and we have a week to prepare for this match," he concluded.