Raków Częstochowa delivered a decisive performance on Monday night, defeating Lechia Gdańsk 3-1 at their home ground during the 23rd round of the PKO Ekstraklasa. The match showcased the difference between the teams' current form, with Raków climbing back to second place on the league table.
John Carver, Lechia's coach, arrived at the stadium under the weather, battling a cold. Shortly after his arrival, he reached for medication, which perhaps mirrored the lack of energy displayed by his team on the field. From the outset, Lechia appeared lethargic and unfocused, allowing Raków to capitalize on their mistakes.
Raków needed only 15 minutes to net two goals, both gifts courtesy of Lechia's defensive errors. The first came as early as the second minute when Maksym Chłań received a yellow card for fouling near the penalty area. Following the free kick, a chaotic situation ensued, and Jonatan Braut Brunes took advantage of the mishap to score from close range after VAR confirmed there was no foul or handball involved.
Just ten minutes later, Brunes struck again, capitalizing on another defensive blunder. This time, Lechia's Rifet Kapić attempted to play the ball back to his keeper but inadvertently set up Brunes for his second goal, solidifying Raków's early dominance.
Despite their shaky start, Lechia began to press more aggressively. Yet, their only moment of success came when Tomas Bobcek found the net; unfortunately, it was ruled out due to offside. The visitor's inability to convert opportunities only compounded their issues, as they made amateurish errors at the back throughout the match.
Going back to the second half, Lechia's fortunes seemed to turn when Tomasz Wójtowicz scored, giving his team hope with the score at 2-1. But this glimmer of hope was short-lived, as Bujar Pllana scored an own goal minutes after Wójtowicz's effort to restore Raków's two-goal advantage. This marked yet another defensive lapse by Lechia, who seemed unable to recover from their earlier mistakes.
Controversy arose late in the match when Zoran Arsenić was called to review footage after appearing to elbow Bobcek during a corner. The referee decided not to award the penalty, leaving Lechia frustrated at their misfortunes.
While Raków exhibited tactical control of the match, dominating possession and opportunities, Lechia managed to outshoot their opponents, demonstrating activity on the field. The statistics showed Lechia had eight shots on target compared to Raków’s five, and they controlled 55% of the possession. Still, it was Raków who converted their chances more effectively.
With this victory, Raków Częstochowa is now back on track, sitting comfortably near the top of the standings and only one point behind leaders Lech Poznań. Conversely, Lechia remains ensnared within the relegation zone, once again failing to capitalise on the opportunity to move out of danger.
Looking toward the future, Carver will need to address the alarming defensive frailties if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation, as the club's next matches will prove to be pivotal.
Raków Częstochowa 3, Lechia Gdańsk 1
Goal Scorers:
1:0 Jonatan Braut Brunes (2')
2:0 Jonatan Braut Brunes (15')
2:1 Tomasz Wójtowicz (71')
3:1 Bujar Pllana (own goal, 75')
Line Ups:
Raków: Kacper Trelowski, Fran Tudor, Ariel Mosór, Zoran Arsenić, Stratos Svarnas, Jean Carlos Silva, Ivi Lopez, Ben Lederman, Władysław Koczerhin, Jonatan Braut Brunes, Patryk Makuch
Lechia: Szymon Weirauch, Dominik Piła, Bujar Pllana, Elias Olsson, Miłosz Kałahur, Camilo Mena, Rifet Kapić, Tomasz Neugebauer, Maksym Chłań, Tomas Bobcek, Bohdan Wjunnyk