On Thursday afternoon at 15 o’clock in the stadium Narodowy of Warsaw, the final in the Polish football Cup, the Puchar Polski, kicked off. The final will be played by Jagiellonia Bialystok and Lechia Gdansk. In the Polish Ekstraklasa Lechia Gdansk fights this season for the first league title in his club’s history. On Saturday, however, coach Piotr Stokowiec’s side had to pass the reigning champions and cup winners in the championship round after a 3-1 home defeat by Legia Warsaw and are now second only. Already on Thursday, the White Greens can chase away the first of two titles with a victory in the Cup final Legia Warsaw.
Jagiellonia Bialystok is in the cup final for the third time in his club’s history. In 2010, the club from the northeastern Polish city of Bialystok won the competition for the first and only time. In the league, the yellow-red four games before the season end eleven points behind the first European Cup place and thus need the victory in the final to be able to play internationally in the coming season. The bookies avoid Jagiellonia Bialystok in the final. Lechia Gdansk with their odds a clear forecast on the winner and expect an absolute duel on equal terms. The betting base believes in their preliminary report on the other hand, the team that plays a sensational season in the league and sets in the final Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Jagiellonia Bialystok:
Last year, Jagiellonia Bialystok was Ekstraklasa’s big rival to Legia Warszawa and missed the championship by just three points in the end. Also in the 2016/17 season Jagiellonia had lost the duel in the league just against Warsaw and had to be satisfied with the second place. After two runners-up in a row, things did not go so well in the league this season for Bialystok. After the regular round, the men of coach Ireneusz Mamrot were only in sixth place 13 points behind the leaders. Through a series of five league games without defeat, the yellow-red in the championship round meanwhile have advanced to fourth place. This series ended last Friday with a 0-2 defeat at Zaglebie Lubin.
The first Europa League seat is thus out of reach. Ekstraklasa’s third-best away team was better for Jaga this season than in front of their own fans. In the first round of the Cup Bialystok prevailed with 1: 0 in the third division Lechia Dzierzoniow. In the second division GKS Katowice, the northeastern Poland only after extension continued. Then there were victories against Arka Gdynia (1st league), Odra Opole (2nd league) and Miedz Legnica (1st league). Jagiellonia may have to make do without Ivan Runje in the final. The Croatian defender is next to Arvydas Novikovas one of the two players who are actually irreplaceable for Bialystok. Novikovas will definitely miss the final. Mile Savkovic and Stefan Scepovic are also missing.
Lechia Gdansk:
Lechia Gdansk is playing a great season so far. The regular season of the Polish Ekstraklasa finished the club with 60 points after 30 games in the first place in the table. The White Greens were able to avoid relegation in the 2017/18 season by only four points. This season, Legia Warsaw sat the men of coach Stokowiec with only three goals worse goal difference than table runner after the final round of the main round in the neck. After three defeats from the last four league games Lechia had to leave on the last game Legia Warsaw in the tables the first place. Currently, the gap to the reigning doubles winner is three points. In the 1: 3 home defeat against Warsaw on Saturday, the players of Gdansk felt above all, but also betrayed by the referee. Nevertheless, the club from the Baltic still has the chance of the double. Particularly at home Lechia was in the regular season with a strong face and remained unbeaten with eleven wins and four draws in front of their own fans.
In the last few weeks, however, a bit of sand came in the gears of Gdansk. In the last four league games alone, the team of coach Stokowiec had conceded twelve goals. In the Cup, the Lechisci had the much harder way to the final. In the first round Lechia won only after penalties at Wisla Krakow. After that there were four away wins: Resovia Rzeszow (2nd league), Nieciecza (2nd league), Gornik Zabrze (1st league) and Rakow Czestochowa (2nd league). The league leaders Rakov Czestochowa had knocked out defending champions Warsaw in the quarter-finals. Now hopes the club on the second cup victory in its history after 1983. Arak and Wolski will continue to lack on the part of Gdansk injury. From the Bundesliga one knows the former Hanoverian Artur Sobiech, who storms for Gdansk since last year.
PREDICTION: Both teams to score / NO @ 1,81
