Just six weeks after the line-up for the 2023/24 campaign was finally confirmed, the Ekstraklasa season kicked off with a bang on Friday. With nine games to whet the appetite, Ryan Hubbard runs through six talking points from the weekend’s action…
1. “Perfect” Pekhart gives Runjaić food for thought
With the capture of last season’s Król Strzelców, Marc Gual From Jagiellonia Białystok, Legia Warsaw strengthened their attack ahead of their attempt to reclaim the Ekstraklasa title that has eluded them for the last two seasons. But it was their veteran Czech frontman who will have give Kosta Runjaić food for thought.
With Runjaić spreading his squad across both league and European fronts, Tomáš Pekhart took to the field at Łazienkowska 3 on Friday evening hoping to prove that he could become the Wojskowi‘s main man. Within 70 minutes, he showed the German coach that he could be the “perfect” option.
The first of Pekhart’s three goals against ŁKS Łódź was a right-footed finish from Paweł Wszolek’s cutback, which took a deflection but likely would have settled in the back of Aleksander Bobek’s net anyway. The second was prodded in by a brave head from close range. The third, a powerful left-footed smash which left the ŁKS keeper no chance at all.
With no league game now until 6 August, attention for Legia now turns to the Conference League double-header against Kazakh side Ordabasy Shymkent. 34-year-old Pekhart has now staked his claim to be the man who leads Legia into Europe.
2. Marchwiński steps up. Can he be the next moneymaker for Lech?
Michał Skóraś, Jakub Kamiński, Robert Gumny, Kamil Jóźwiak, Jakub Moder. Lech Poznan have a habit of making money on players who have progressed through their youth setup. 21-year-old midfielder Filip Marchwiński might be making a move to be the next name on that list.
After a strong end to the 2022/23 season, Marchwiński began the new campaign against Piast Gliwice in strong form. After a sluggish first period in which they fell behind, Marchwiński scored a quickfire brace to drag the Kolejorz into the lead and ensure they began the season in winning ways.
Lech’s run in last season’s Europa Conference League, as well as the sale of Skóraś to Belgian side Club Brugge, means that they’ve been able to assemble a squad with the highest wage bill in the club’s history. If they can follow up with another strong campaign, they likely won’t find themselves in a position of needing to cash in on one of their most saleable assets. But if Marchwiński continues in such impressive form and helps to fire Lech to another successful season, it’s hard to see him staying at Ulica Bułgarska for much longer.
3. Szwarga carries on where Papszun left off
With three competitive games under their belts already, new Raków Częstochowa coach Dawid Szwarga made four changes to the side which comfortably saw off Estonians Flora Tallinn in their UEFA Champions League Qualifier in midweek – trying to maintain a balance which allows the club to fight on multiple fronts. As such, Raków’s comprehensive victory over Jagiellonia Białystok was a pleasant sight.
The Champions started slowly, but soon turned the screw to send Jaga back to the North-East pointless; and in doing so, Szwarga’s free-flowing attacking football seemed to carry on from where his predecessor Marek Papszun’s left off.
Jagiellonia had the potential to be a banana skin for the champions. Last season, the Żółto-Czerwoni were one of only three teams to return from Częstochowa with points. This time, however, there was little chance of a repeat. Raków’s stern defensive line were so comfortable that they didn’t even allow their guests a shot at goal.
At the other end, the Medaliki were at times wasteful, but still managed to plunder three goals: two through summer signing Łukasz Zwoliński, and another from last season’s top scorer Bartosz Nowak.
“If you are the Polish champion, you cannot be falsely modest, but approach the new competitions with ambition“, Szwarga had told journalists in his pre-match press conference, stressing that his two targets for this season are to retain the Polish title and to qualify for European competition. Given that, historically, the reigning League champions often find it difficult to maintain league form whilst also progressing in Europe, Szwarga and Raków have a very fine line to tread.
“Of course the goal is to fight for the trophy, but we will not look ahead – we focus only on the nearest rival“, Szwarga continued. If Raków’s approach to the Jagiellonia game is anything to go by, they’ll have a strong chance of breaking tradition.
4. Clean sweep for the European competitors.
As well as Legia’s victory over ŁKS and Lech’s win at Piast, the first two days of the weekend saw three points picked up by Pogoń Szczecin and Raków Częstochowa, against Warta Poznań and Jagiellonia Białystok respectively. In doing so, the quartet ended an embarrassing run for the country’s European qualifiers.
To find the last time that all four of Poland’s continental representatives won their first game of the season, you have to go back almost two decades to the 2004/05 season. Back then, Champions Wisła Kraków were knocked out of the Champions League and UEFA Cup by Real Madrid and Dinamo Tbilisi respectively, Legia Warsaw failed in qualification against Austria Vienna, and a Czesław Michniewicz-led Lech Poznań fell to Terek Grozny at the first hurdle. The only team to qualify for the group stages were Maciej Skorża’s Amica Wronki, who were hammered in a pool containing Auxerre, Rangers, AZ Alkmaar and Grazer AK.
With Raków already guaranteed a spot in the Conference League play-offs thanks to the midweek win over Flora Tallinn, they look best-placed to reach a first-ever European competition; and their 3-0 hammering of Jaga under new coach Dawid Szwarga shows they have continued where they left off last season. The hope is that one of Legia, Lech (who face Kauno Żalgiris) or Pogoń (who travel to Linfield) can carry their strong League start into Europe and give Poland at least two sides playing on the continent beyond August.
5. Promoted trio thrown in at the deep end
Fans of ŁKS Łódź and Ruch Chorzów will have been waiting three and six years respectively for their top-flight return. Supporters of Puszcza Niepołomice will have been dreaming of making their top-flight debut for much, much longer. But all three clubs were quickly given a rude awakening.
ŁKS Łódź were given the hardest task – an away trip to perennial title challengers Legia. It was hardly surprising to see them succumb to a heavy 3-0 defeat. The Ełkaesiący were second best throughout the game, but should have equalised early in the second half through Dutch debutant striker Kay Tejan, who hit the post when through one-on-one. In the end, they were heavily reliant on an impressive display from keeper Aleksander Bobek to keep the score as low as three.
Ruch Chorzów were less reliant on their goalkeeper to keep the scoreline against Zagłębie Lubin to 2-1, and more reliant on VAR. Twice the video assistant came to their aid to prevent equalisers, but sloppy defending eventually got the better of them as Tomasz Makowski’s effort cancelled out Aleks Ławniczak’s unfortunate own goal. Though Ruch were largely toothless in front of goal, Zagłębie were reliant on a moment of absolute magic from 21-year-old defender Bartlomiej Kłudka to claim the three points. His thundering volley from 30 metres cannoned over the line via the crossbar – a very early contender for goal of the season.
There was also another contender early on in Łódź, where Puszcza’s Rafał Siemaszko curled into the top corner to give the newbies an early lead against Widzew. By the 92nd minute, though, the top-flight veterans had stretched to a comfortable 3-1 advantage. Puszcza, however, showed fight, and reduced the deficit in the final minute. They also hit the woodwork twice in a debut display which was nothing to be ashamed of.
6. Górnik’s difficult pre-season continues into the league
After Bartosch Gaul was dismissed in March, the return of Jan Urban coincided with a change in Gornik’s fortunes. Relegation candidates at the time, six wins and two draws from their last eight games left them comfortably in the top half.
Pre-season friendlies often have little bearing on the subsequent league season, but even despite the strength of some of their opponents (Schalke 04, 1.FC Koln, Hannover 96, Paderborn), 5 defeats and a draw left Górnik fans worried about the upcoming campaign. Those worries quickly proved to be justified in Zabrze, against a Radomiak side whose pre-season form had given their own fans just as much cause for concern.
Radomiak were impressively dominant throughout, but were reliant on a couple of grave goalkeeping mistakes from the usually reliable Daniel Bielica to claim the three points. The first error was the parrying of a weak shot to the feet of Pedro Henrique, who couldn’t miss from two yards out. The second was a poor attempt to dribble out of trouble, straight into Henrique, with fellow debutant Rafał Wolski able to head in the looping deflection.
Górnik’s disappointing performance was visible in the statistics. Not a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes; and their best chance coming only in the dying throngs through Podolski, by which time the game had already been lost.
Meanwhile, though wasteful in front of goal themselves, Radomiak had little trouble carving through a Górnik back-line which looked low in confidence.
Warta Poznań 0-1 Pogoń Szczecin
Legia Warsaw 3-0 ŁKS Łódź
Stal Mielec 2-2 Cracovia
Raków Częstochowa 3-0 Jagiellonia Białystok
Piast Gliwice 1-2 Lech Poznań
Górnik Zabrze 0-2 Radomiak Radom
Zagłębie Lubin 2-1 Ruch Chorzów
Widzew Łódź 3-2 Puszcza Niepołomice
Korona Kielce 1-1 Śląsk Wrocław
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