Winning dress rehearsal: Wisła - Górnik Łęczna 1:0

In their final friendly before the return to league action, Wisła Kraków played against Górnik Łęczna in Myślenice. The match, played over two 50-minute halves, ended in a 1-0 victory for Wisła following a goal by Szymon Sobczak.

From the outset, Wisła's team struggled to control the game. Marc Carbo skillfully distributed the ball, repeatedly fueling his teammates' attacks down the wings. The Kraków team aggressively pressed the visitors after every possession, effectively thwarting any offensive attempts in the early stages. In the 10th minute, after skillful play and a good cross from Goku, Angel Rodado found the ball but fired straight at the opposing goalkeeper.

As the match progressed, the visitors gradually began to assert themselves. They primarily found their chances through quick counterattacks on the wing and from set pieces. After 20 minutes, the opposition twice attempted to successfully cross the ball from corner kicks, but Alan Uryga was well-positioned on both occasions. The hosts continued their attempts to open the scoring. Goku and Angel Rodado once again found their footing in the combination play, and Jakub Krzyżanowski crossed the ball after winning set pieces. Alvaro Raton constantly encouraged his teammates to get high and win the ball back quickly.

The latter part of the half, however, belonged largely to Górnik Łęczna. The visitors struggled to maintain possession and build offensive plays, forcing Wisła to establish a defensive block. Loan striker Mateusz Młyński was very active on the wing, repeatedly clashing with Bartosz Jaroch in running duels.

A goal that counts as a win

At the start of the second half, Górnicy continued their bold play, hitting Wisła's crossbar in one of their first attacks. This was certainly a serious warning, and the hosts then tried to force the game away from their penalty area. Wisła began to regain the initiative offensively, but Górnicy weren't just defending. Their attacking tool was primarily rapid counterattacks on the wings. One of these almost opened the scoring, but the opposing attacker's shot hit the back of the net.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, both teams' play calmed down somewhat, and coach Albert Rude decided to make a group change. Among the substitutes were Żyro, returning from injury, and debutant Dejvi Bregu. The White Star's new signing came onto the pitch highly motivated, striving to contribute significantly to his team in both attack and defense. In the 72nd minute, after a long pass from the defense, the opposition's number nine, Karol Podliński, made a good save. He managed to find a good position for a dangerous shot, but Jakub Stępak, who had been introduced earlier, made a superb save in goal.

Like the visitors, Wisła occasionally attempted to launch quick attacks with long passes. In one of them, Szymon Sobczak dropped back to the second line and, after a good play with Olejarka in midfield, sent the ball out wide to the centering Dawid Szot. After a dangerous cross, the home side claimed a handball, but the referee waved play on. In one of the next attacks, Gostomski started the game well with a handball, allowing Górnik to launch a dangerous attack with a numerical advantage. Basha was forced to interrupt the attack, receiving a direct red card for his foul.

Wisła were forced to play the final minutes with 10 men, but they showed no signs of compromising the draw. From that point on, the match resembled a boxing exchange, with the weakened hosts landing the decisive blow. Once again, Bregu gained momentum with the ball from the left side of the pitch and, after skillfully cutting inside, allowed himself to be fouled in a prime position. Szymon Sobczak stepped up and cleverly shot past the Green-and-Black goalkeeper, making the score 1-0.

Wisła Kraków - Górnik Łęczna 1:0 (0:0)
1:0 Sobczak 90'+4'

Wisła Kraków: Raton (67' Stępak) - Jaroch (66' Szot), Uryga (66' Łasicki), Colley (66' Basha, 87' Kutwa), Krzyżanowski (66' Satrustegui) - Sapała (66' Duda), Carbo (66' Talar) - Villar (66' Olejarka), Goku (66' Żyro), Alfaro (66' Bregu) - Rodado (66' Sobczak)

Górnik Łęczna: Gostomski - Bednarczyk (46' Rojek), De Amo (75' Sienicki), Cisse (63' Bednarczyk), Grabowski (46' Dziwniel) - Deja (61' Janaszek), Żyra (46' Podliński) - Durmus (45' Warchoł), Łukasiak (75' Wachowicz), Młyński (75' Małyska) - Roginić (61' Steszuk)

Judged by: Mateusz Czerwień (Krakow)
Yellow card: Carbo
Red card: Basha (83', foul)

A. Truty