Unlucky Friday the 13th: Wisła - Warta 0:1

Wisła Kraków unsuccessfully resumed their Betclic 1 League campaign, losing 1-0 at home to Warta Poznań. Kacper Michalski scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot.

Played in pouring rain, the match began with Wisła attacking, trying to quickly open the scoring, while the players in red jerseys confined the visitors to their penalty area. After a series of corner kicks, the ball fell to James Igbekeme, who, completely unmarked, had ample time to compose a shot. The Nigerian unleashed a devastatingly powerful shot, only to find the edge of Jędrzej Grobelny's goal.

The White Star pressed high and visibly made it difficult for Warta to get play out of their own half. The visiting goalkeeper had his work cut out for him in the first quarter of an hour, repeatedly blocking his teammates from conceding a goal. Angel Rodado also came close to finding the back of the net, but his shot, after a save, found the post and went wide.

The match remained largely unchanged, with the attacking pressure remaining primarily on the side of the pitch occupied by the visiting side from Poznań. In the 37th minute, Olivier Sukiennicki collected the ball after a loss and struck the crossbar with a long-range shot. The home side were repeatedly unlucky, and the opposing goal seemed to be a fluke. It could even be said that the football was unfair to the Kraków side today. Before the break, coach Klepczarek's team produced one good attack, which resulted in a penalty kick converted by Kacper Michalski. Despite their significant dominance, Wisła went to the locker room with a goal down and, after the break, had to work to make up for the loss.

Finding effectiveness

The second half was evenly matched, with each team creating clear-cut scoring opportunities. Shun Shibata had a golden opportunity to add to the score after a mix-up in the penalty area. However, the Japanese striker's shot was too light and didn't pose much of a challenge for Chichkan. The hour mark flew by, and both coaches decided to make their first substitutions. Alfaro and Zwoliński were brought on for Wisła to further enhance their attacking potential.

The muddy pitch caused by the constant downpour certainly didn't make the game any easier. The players were often forced to play high up the pitch. The ball stopped on the grass and prevented quick exchanges of passes. Both teams were limited to simple solutions, which, however, yielded no results. The 80th minute approached, and the score remained 0-1. A certain nervousness began to creep into the match, leading referee Małyszek to repeatedly blow fouls.

The referee announced five minutes of added time. The White Star players moved their entire squad towards the visitors' goal, attempting to equalize the score. However, their attempt was unsuccessful, and Warta Poznań took home all three points from Wawel Castle.

Wisła Kraków - Warta Poznań (0:1)

Michalski 45+5' (k.)

Wisła Kraków: Chichkan-Jaroch, Uryga, Biedrzycki, Mikulec (84' Baena) - Igbekeme (74' Gogół), Carbo - Starzyński (84' Dziedzic), Sukiennicki (58' Alfaro), Duarte (58' Zwoliński) - Rodado

Warta Poznań: Grobelny - Przybyłko, Wojcinowicz, Bartkowski- Szeliga, Tkachuk (90+4' Pleśnierowicz), Shibata (82' Pawłowski), Kiełb - Michalski, Żurawski (58' Gaska) - Adamski (58' Firlej)

Yellow cards: Mikulec, Rodado - Tkachuk, Michalski, Grobeln, Firlej

Judge: Małyszek J. (Lublin)

Attendance: 15,017