One goal behind: Wisła - Rapid 1:2

The first leg of Wisła Kraków's two-legged tie with SK Rapid Wien ended in a 1-2 defeat for the Kraków team. The opening goal for Wisła Kraków came courtesy of a shot by Marc Carbó, but was ultimately ruled an own goal by defender Maximilian Hofmann. Next week, the R22 side face the return leg, which will determine their qualification for the next round of the Europa League qualifiers.

The visitors from Vienna pressed resolutely into Wisła's penalty area from the very first seconds. This gave the players in green the first serious attacking opportunity. However, Anton Chichkan showed off a strong display to the packed stands, parrying a powerful shot wide of the goal.

Clearly motivated by their coach, the home side effectively held possession in their opponent's half for extended periods. However, they were unable to convert this into goal-scoring opportunities. True to their tactical principles, Rapid continued to attempt to win the ball high up the pitch, particularly in midfield. By gradually extending play to the wings, the visitors managed to create two shooting opportunities, but both were significantly off target.

The White Star created its first excellent opportunity to open the scoring in the 24th minute. Sukiennicki swung the ball with his right hand, cutting it back to Jaroch, who was joining in. This move visibly surprised the Austrian defense, as the defender was completely unmarked as he entered the penalty area. However, he fired a shot that was too weak, and Hedl confidently caught it with his gloves.

The visiting striker, Baurgstaller, found himself in similar circumstances in the 31st minute. After some careless play by our players, he found himself practically one-on-one with Chichkan. The Belarusian goalkeeper once again helped his teammates, keeping the score level. Wisła were trying to fight back, and after a cross, debutant Łukasz Zwoliński came close to threatening the Vienna side.

Our opponents' numerous attacks, however, finally had their revenge. Jansson, dropping into midfield, had far too much space to shoot and created a favorable position for a shot on target. He aimed at the far side of our goal, opening the scoring. This came in the 37th minute.

It was clear that the players in red shirts had deflated somewhat after conceding the goal. Rapid Vienna continued to attack aggressively, attempting to extend their lead even before the break. Coach Krauss's men aggressively fought for every ball, and this—at what seemed the least expected moment—caused them considerable trouble. In a completely unnecessary situation, Bendeguz Bolla struck Oliwier Sukiennicki's knee with his outstretched leg. The referee, after a VAR signal, had no choice but to send the Hungarian defender to the dressing room just seconds before the official end of the half.

Make up for the loss

In these circumstances, Wisła had to push forward and fight for at least an equalizer. Zwoliński almost succeeded in doing so in the 49th minute, jumping the highest of all the players and slamming his header against the outside of the post. The fans, spurred on by this signal, loudly cheered their players on.

In the 53rd minute, however, the home side's defense made the same mistake they did with the Green and White's opening goal. Seidl, wearing number 18, had too much space in front of goal. He unleashed a powerful and precise shot that was beyond Chichkan's reach. From that moment on, the scoreboard read 0-2.

After an hour, the visitors, satisfied with the progress of the match, began to maintain possession for longer periods. Kazimierz Moskal introduced Kutwa and Krzyżanowski. These changes stimulated our tackling, resulting in a series of dangerous offensive moves in front of the Austrian goal.
Wisła Kraków waited a long time for a breakthrough in this match, but the goal finally came in the 79th minute. The White Star team moved to the opponents' penalty area. Marc Carbo found the ball in the thicket of players. His low shot hit Hofmann, completely disorienting the visiting goalkeeper. The score was 1-2 with plenty of time left on the clock!

Unfortunately, the Viennese team's experience paid off in the closing stages of the match. Rapid managed to disrupt the game, effectively stealing the aforementioned time until the final whistle. The visiting coach made several defensive changes, ensuring his players never let go of the one-goal lead. Next week, Wisła will head to Vienna for the return leg with the clear goal of closing the gap and fighting for a place in the Europa League qualifiers.

Wisła Kraków - Rapid Vienna 1:2 (0:1)
0:1 Jansson 37'
0:2 Seidl 53'
1:2 Hofmann 79' (p.)

Wisła Kraków: Cziczkan - Jaroch, Uryga, Colley, Mikulec - Gogół (67' Kutwa), Carbo - Rodado, Sukiennicki, Kiakos (45' Baena) - Zwoliński (67' Krzyżanowski)

Rapid Vienna: Hedl - Bolla, Hofmann, Raux-Yao, Auer - Sangare, Grgić (90'+4' Cvetković), Jansson (46' Oswald) - Seidl - Burgstaller (82' Dursun), Beljo (69' Bischof)

Referee: Mohammed Al-Emara (Finland)
Yellow card: Grgić
Red card: Bolla (45'+6' foul)
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