During the final round of the Betclic 1. Liga, Wisła Kraków travelled to Rzeszów to face the local side, Stal Rzeszów. The match served as a final test for Wisła ahead of the upcoming play-offs. The visitors delivered a composed and confident performance, securing a 3–0 victory. The goals were scored by Frederico Duarte, who found the net twice, and Łukasz Zwoliński.
The First Half
The match began with Wisła once again employing their characteristic high pressing, pushing aggressively into Stal’s penalty area. In the 6th minute, a shot from Sukiennicki was blocked by a Stal defender, resulting in Wisła’s first corner kick. Moments later, Sukiennicki took the corner, which was deflected out of play by a Stal player, leading to a second corner. This, too, was taken by Sukiennicki but was safely dealt with by the hosts.
In the 10th minute, Stal had their first real opportunity to score via a corner kick, but the delivery was too wide of the target and failed to find a finisher. Wisła didn’t have to wait long to open the scoring. In the 12th minute, Jesús Alfaro passed to Duarte, who found space between the Stal defenders and fired a precise shot into the net. The scoreboard now read 1–0 to the White Star.
A counterattack from Stal was confidently stopped by Wisła’s returning goalkeeper, Patryk Letkiewicz. Approaching the 20th minute, Stal threatened again with their third corner kick. It posed a genuine danger, but the resulting shot drifted just wide of the post. Stal continued to struggle against Wisła’s offensive pressure.
As the half progressed, Stal began to play more offensively in an attempt to equalise, but their efforts were ultimately fruitless. In the 36th minute, Wisła launched another forward move. Baena led the charge, skilfully bypassing several Stal players before delivering a well-timed pass to Łukasz Zwoliński, who was perfectly positioned to calmly slot home and double Wisła’s lead to 2–0.
The remaining minutes of the half were insufficient for the hosts to find a reply. The referee added one minute of stoppage time, but it did not change the outcome. The first half concluded with Wisła Kraków leading 2–0.
The Second Half
Wisła Kraków’s manager, Mariusz Jop, made a change to start the second half, bringing on Tamás Kiss in place of Baena. In the opening minutes, the hosts looked dangerous, threatening the Wisła goal with two quick attempts — one poorly executed and the second sailing over the crossbar, missing a key opportunity to score.
The half unfolded with both teams battling for control. Stal pushed for their first goal, while Wisła sought to consolidate their lead. As the match progressed, Stal grew in confidence, creating more attacking movements and putting pressure on Wisła’s defence.
Approaching the final quarter of the match, James Igbekeme delivered a well-placed pass to Duarte, who struck a superb shot from 20 metres out. The ball flew past the goalkeeper and into the net, extending Wisła’s lead to 3–0. In the 78th minute, Stal Rzeszów were awarded a free kick, taken by Thill. The delivery exposed a gap in Wisła’s defensive line, but Patryk Letkiewicz remained alert and dealt with the threat effectively.
The closing minutes were marked by end-to-end action, with both sides, particularly Stal, pushing hard to find the net. Despite their efforts, no further goals were scored. The final whistle confirmed a convincing victory for Wisła Kraków, who secured another three crucial points and strengthened their position in the league table ahead of the play-offs.
Stal Rzeszów - Wisła Kraków (0:2) 0:3:- 0:1 Duarte 12’
- 0:2 Zwoliński 37’
- 0:3 Duarte 72’
Stal Rzeszów: Bąkowski - Warczak, Synoś, Kościelny, Šimčak (67' Kukułka) - Thill, Piotrowski - Łyczko (67’ Gujda), Kucharski (67’ Kądziołka), Prokić (43' Peña)- Musik (73’ Bała)
Wisła Kraków: Letkiewicz - Jaroch (74’ Szot), Łasicki, Colley, Mikulec (63’ Kiakos) - Sukiennicki, Igbekeme (80' Baniowski) - Baena (46’ Kiss), Alfaro, Duarte (74’ Kuziemka) - Zwoliński
Referee: P. Urban (Warsaw)
Card(s): Kucharski, Prokić - Colley
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