Mariusz Jop after #WISSTA: A 2–1 victory hard-fought and snatched away!

Mariusz Jop’s team strengthens its position at the top of the table! Wisła Kraków defeated Stal Rzeszów 2–1 thanks to goals from Julius Ertlthaler and Ángel Rodado, earning another three points. Coach Jop shared his thoughts on Sunday’s match:

“It was definitely an exciting match, with plenty happening at both ends of the pitch. From our perspective, I think we lacked a bit of fluidity in our play and longer spells of ball possession. For a team like ours, we made quite a few unforced errors. On one hand, that was due to the opponent’s strong performance in transitions, Stal really challenged us today. It’s no coincidence they’ve collected 20 points and sit high in the table. They’re a young team that plays with good intensity. They stood up to Wisła and played well. But in the end, the most important thing is on our side, victory. A 2-1 win, a victory fought for and snatched away. Maybe it wasn’t our perfect performance, but what matters most is that the points stayed in Kraków. I’m happy about that. Congratulations to the team. Now it’s time to rest and prepare for the upcoming cup match.”

Was it a matter of concentration? “I think we had plenty of chances to score more goals in the first half, sometimes there was a marginal offside, sometimes a lack of precision. It’s not that we didn’t create chances. We expect more from ourselves and know we must be more clinical, especially in transitions when the opponent has to open up more. We had a few good moments to break quickly, whether from a mid or low block. I wouldn’t blame it on a lack of focus, sometimes matches just have less flow.”

Did Stal present the toughest challenge so far this season? “As I said, Stal really pushed us today. Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki were also a very demanding opponent, they played openly and bravely. In matches like these, it’s important to take your chances. Even though the game was fairly even and we sometimes gave up possession, Stal didn’t really create many clear-cut opportunities. Of course, there was the penalty, actually, two penalties, but apart from that, I don’t recall them having any great chances.”

Were the substitutions made with the upcoming cup match in mind? “Today we were focused on this game and what was happening on the pitch. There was a moment when I felt it was necessary not to take risks with Julek [Ertlthaler], he had a yellow card and was up against a quick opponent, Masiak, and Warczak who also joined attacks from deep. We didn’t want to risk him having to stop a counterattack and get sent off. Besides, Krzyżu [Krzyżanowski] is in good form, he came on and I think he played very well.”

How is Rodado’s injury? “He has a slight issue with his ankle, he twisted it a bit. Since he was warmed up, he could continue playing. We’ll see how it looks tomorrow or the day after, whether the symptoms get worse or go away. For now, we don’t have a diagnosis suggesting anything serious.”

Will Duarte get some extra one-on-one finishing drills? “We often work on such situations in training, one-on-ones and plenty of finishing inside the box. Usually, in that type of moment, he goes for a chip, and he does it well. I actually thought he’d finish that way. In a two-on-one situation, you have to score. He really wanted to, but made the wrong decision, the goalkeeper also did well to narrow the angle. In the end, we didn’t get that third goal, but the counterattack itself was definitely pleasing to watch.”