Lech Poznań played Szachtar Donieck in the 1/8 final of the Conference League. The match was held on Thursday. Before the match, Lech Poznań’s coach, Niels Frederiksen, stated his belief that his team could advance.
Early Exchanges and Tactical Battles
Gurgul and Ishak initiated a swift counter-attack, but Rodriguez failed to spot the striker making a run on the left wing. A misunderstanding occurred between Alisson and Elias near the penalty area. Bengtsson then failed to control a pass from Gholizadeh.
Newerton made a run from the left, his shot from distance did not trouble Mrozek. Gholizadeh accelerated down the right flank, but his cross from outside the box was blocked by Rodriguez. Gurgul then intervened to stop a counter-attack by Alisson.
Alisson’s duel with Gurgul resulted in the lateral zones being closed in the Kolejorz half for the time being. Bengtsson’s cross after beating his opponent was out of reach for Ishak and Palma. Mońka was alert to a soft cross from Newerton. Gholizadeh’s shot was blocked, with the ball ending up in the side netting.
Midfield Struggles and Goalkeeping
The visitors attacked with four players after winning the ball in midfield. Elias opted to shoot with his left foot after turning, but Mrozek made an excellent save. Tobias anticipated Bengtsson’s dribbling and won a foul while bringing the ball out.
Pereira attempted a shot from distance, but it went wide of the far post. Alisson made a good run, cutting in from the right wing, but couldn’t find a teammate with his pass. The visitors exchanged passes in the Kolejorz half.
Attacking Moves and Defensive Organisation
Ishak held the ball up after a pass from Pereira. Rodriguez switched the play, but Bengtsson’s cross into the box was intercepted. Henrique lost possession under pressure near the penalty area. Pereira found Gholizadeh with a through ball, but his pass across goal was not met by a teammate.
Alisson threatened down the wing, but Gurgul prevented a corner. A quick throw-in led to Gholizadeh being released on the right. However, Pereira’s cross failed to reach Bengtsson. Pereira then made a great interception. Gholizadeh played a soft ball towards Palma, but he was beaten to it near the edge of the box.
The hosts pressed high from the start, but only won the ball back briefly. Rodriguez waited too long on the touchline. A player, Kryskiv, was injured and replaced by Gomes.
- Mrozek and Kryskiv received medical attention.
- The first whistle came from Norwegian referee Rohit Saggi.
- Both teams began their fight for the quarter-finals in the capital of Greater Poland.
Both teams came out onto the pitch. The match began after the competition’s anthem.