In Matchday 4 of the PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa, Lechia Gdańsk and Motor Lublin shared the points. The game ended in a 3–3 draw, with goals for Lechia scored by Bohdan Viunnyk, Tomáš Bobček, and Camilo Mena.
The Lechia players wanted to enter Monday’s match in strong style and from the first whistle tried to play offensively. In addition to their offensive attitude, the White-and-Green players fought for every centimetre of the pitch and impressed with aggression and commitment. Already in the 2nd minute, Lechia crossed the ball into the penalty area of the visitors from Lublin for the first time, but the defenders of the opponents, with considerable difficulty, cleared it from their own box. The Gdańsk team, however, did not wait a moment and immediately pressed on. Already in the 3rd minute, Matus Vojtko, from deep in the field, crossed the ball into the penalty area of the opponents. The excellent cross landed directly on the foot of Tomáš Bobček, the Slovak managed to play a strong ball along the goal, and Bohdan Viunnyk from the nearest distance put it into the net. In the following minutes, the hosts did not intend to give up and for a long time dominated on the pitch.
Five minutes later, a beautiful one-two action on the left wing ended with a cross by Matus Vojtko into the Motor penalty area, the visiting defender unfortunately cleared the ball straight to the feet of Rifet Kapić, and the Bosnian was very close to beating the goalkeeper of the team from Lublin with a surprising long-range shot. In the next minutes, it was the visitors who operated the ball more. Lechia’s defensive formation, however, was focused and carried out their tasks well, not allowing the Lublin team to create dangerous scoring opportunities.
In the 19th minute, the team from Lublin put the ball in the net of the White-and-Greens, but Karol Czubak’s goal was disallowed and the referee whistled for offside. This did not mean that John Carver’s players intended to give up. On the contrary – in the 24th minute of the match, Lechia again came to the fore and created another really good chance to score. Camilo Mena, in his style, won a one-on-one duel with a defender of the opponents and delivered a hanging ball into Motor’s penalty area. There, the extremely effective this season Tomáš Bobček got to the ball and headed at the visitors’ goal, but the Motor goalkeeper dealt with this attempt.
After creating another chance, the Gdańsk team emerged from a temporary slump, caught the wind in their sails and resumed their attacks. In the 27th minute, Lechia were again close to beating the visitors’ goalkeeper. After a header by Kacper Sezonienko, Ivan Brkić, with considerable difficulty, saved the visitors from conceding a second goal in this match. After Lechia’s better play, a worse moment for the White-and-Greens came again – one long awaited by the Motor players – in the 38th minute of the match, the visitors’ striker, Karol Czubak, put the ball in Lechia’s net.
The following minutes were a continuation of the good play of the Lublin players, who, in the final phase of the first half, practically did not lose possession of the ball. In the 42nd minute, the stronger moment of the Motor team was crowned with a goal by Portuguese midfielder Ivo Rodrigues, which put the Lublin side ahead just before the break. In added time of the first half, Tomáš Bobček stole the ball from a Motor Lublin defender and ran towards the visitors’ goal. The Slovak did not let the last Motor defender stop him, found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and with a confident left-footed shot under the crossbar brought the score level. Just before the break, the match was essentially starting over, and the second half was to decide the final outcome.
Draw at halftime, draw after halftime
In the second part of the match, Lechia also entered with more vigour than their opponents from Lublin. The team from the north of Poland calmly constructed actions, did not give the ball away, and patiently waited for their chances to score. Unfortunately, this optical advantage could not be documented with a goal, and a moment of inattention and inaccuracy when bringing the ball out by the White-and-Greens was once again used by the visitors. After a tactical foul by Ivan Zhelizko, Motor had a free kick. A beautiful shot by Bartosz Wolski from the set piece gave the team from Lublin their second lead of the evening.
The Gdańsk team conceded a goal but did not lose faith in a positive end to this match. In the 58th minute, it became dangerous in front of Motor’s goal. Camilo Mena perfectly timed a defender’s mistake, sped down the wing, and played an accurate ball along the penalty area to Kacper Sezonienko, who tried to take a precise shot at the visitors’ goal but was blocked by one of the defenders.
Lechia did not stop looking for a way to Motor’s goal. Another mistake by a Motor defender was used by Tomáš Bobček, who found himself in an excellent situation in the visitors’ penalty area, but his powerful shot was saved by Ivan Brkić. Moments later, Lechia were close to creating another scoring chance. A cross from Matus Vojtko was headed down by Maksym Diachuk, but Elias Olsson missed the ball by a whisker. Lechia, however, had no intention of giving up easily. In the 70th minute, Ivan Zhelizko delivered an excellent cross, Tomáš Bobček reached the ball, but this time the Slovak missed slightly and only hit the post of Motor’s goal.
In the next minutes, Lechia kept gaining momentum. The players brought in from the bench gave the team more strength and sent a stimulus for further attacks. In the 75th minute, Ivan Zhelizko took the ball excellently in Motor’s half and, with a through pass, released Tomáš Bobček into open space. The Slovak found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but shot off target.
In the 79th minute, after many attempts, the White-and-Greens managed to equalise. Camilo Mena carried out a fantastic individual action down the wing, brilliantly beat a Motor defender, and with a precise low shot found space between the opponent goalkeeper’s legs, thus bringing the score level.
In the 86th minute, Lechia had another opportunity. After an excellent long pass by Ivan Zhelizko from his own half, Mohamed Awad Allah found himself near the visitors’ goal. The midfielder sped down the wing and beat a Motor Lublin defender, but unfortunately shot too softly to surprise the visitors’ goalkeeper.
Lechia fought until the very end of the match, the result of which was a free kick in the last minute of added time of the second half. Ivan Zhelizko approached the ball placed just outside the penalty area, and with a technical shot tried to surprise the Motor goalkeeper, but unfortunately struck just wide. Moments later, the referee ended the match.
Lechia Gdańsk – Motor Lublin 3:3 (2:2)
1:0 Viunnyk 3’
1:1 Czubak 38’
1:2 Rodrigues 41’
2:2 Bobček 45’+1’
2:3 Wolski 53’
3:3 Mena 79’
Lechia Gdańsk: Weirauch – Olsson, Zhelizko, Viunnyk (59’ Neugebauer), Kapić (69’ Kurminowski), Mena, Diaczuk, Jaunzems, Vojtko, Sezonienko (69’ Hassan), Bobček (75’ Głogowski)
Motor Lublin: Brkić – Wójcik (80’ Stolarski), Matthys, Ede, Palacz (46’ Luberecki) – Łabojko, Wolski, Rodrigues (69’ Scalet) – Król, Czubak (80’ Dadashov), Ndiaye (61’ Haxha)
Żółte kartki: Kapić, Hassan – Rodrigues, Ede
