Two goals, huge emotions, and a decisive blow right at the very end! Head coach Mariusz Jop summed up the victory over Śląsk Wrocław and revealed what was key to securing all three points.

Emotions and match summary

“Football is above all about emotions, and I think there were plenty of them today. I’m very happy that we scored the winner at the end. Of course, from my perspective, I would have preferred us to have wrapped up the match earlier, because there were opportunities - at least three very good ones in the second half. I mean Eli’s shot, Roda’s shot, and Kuba Krzyżanowski’s shot. Those were three chances that really should have been taken. I think that, generally speaking, the better team won in every statistic. We clearly outperformed Śląsk in duels, expected goals, and all the most important entries into the penalty area; there was a very big advantage there. We would certainly have been hugely disappointed if we hadn’t won this match, so I congratulate the team on that winning mentality and on always playing until the very end. That makes me very happy. I would also like to thank the fans for their tremendous support. It certainly gave us a lot of energy right to the end, and ultimately I’m delighted that our next home match in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa, at our own stadium, ended in victory.”

The situation surrounding Alan Uryga’s goal and the VAR review

Responding to a question about the controversy surrounding the refereeing decisions on the decisive goal, the Wisła Kraków coach said:

“I saw a replay from the tactical camera, so it isn’t particularly precise there, but it seems that there was no offside and that the goal was correctly awarded. That is, after all, what VAR is there for - to check these things. I think that if there had been any controversy, the referees would not have given us the gift of an incorrectly awarded goal.”

The course of the second half and the execution of the tactical plan

Asked to assess the team’s performance in the second half, the coach explained:

“That is indeed how it looked in the second half: we defended in a medium or low block and waited for our chances, and we had those chances. The strategy seems to have been the right one. As far as I remember, Śląsk basically had one chance in the first half, when their striker took a shot, Dario was close to him, and it was not an easy effort, while the second was the goal they scored. So when we look at the xG, which was 2.51 to 0.75, it seems that the strategy was not bad; it was simply a matter of making the most of the opportunities we had. We were certainly a little too nervous in some situations. I think we should have kept the ball for longer and been more patient in our build-up, because when we were more patient and had the structure we should have in attack, we created those chances. When we rushed and were too impatient, there was a bit of chaos.”

Summary of the opening phase of the season

Asked about earning 17 points in the first nine PKO BP Ekstraklasa matches before the international break, the coach replied:

“That gives us an average of, from what I quickly worked out, around 1.9. That is a very high average; it is the kind of average that generally places teams right at the top of the table, in the top three or four, so the points tally is certainly impressive. To briefly sum up what I said earlier, there was a lot of nervousness in our play during those first matches, which meant that in the drawn games our control of the match was not at a high level. It was clear that when we conceded or scored a goal, the emotional side functioned better and we were able to show a little more of what this team is capable of. But I think we have now put that initial phase and period of adaptation behind us. I think we have shown that we can play our football at this level and maintain the style we had in the first division. So the assessment is definitely positive. I think that at this point we are following the optimistic scenario.”

Set pieces and the captain’s effectiveness

Responding to a question about the recurring crosses from free kicks aimed at Alan Uryga’s head, the coach noted:

“If you recall the goals we scored from free kicks in the first division, there is a certain pattern that we repeat. I’m pleased that it has also worked at PKO BP Ekstraklasa level. And the fact that Alan is an effective player in the penalty area is not something he has shown for the first time. I should also mention that in the first half he had two chances from corners, two headers, so he is certainly a player who is very dangerous when attacking the penalty area.”

Players called up to national teams

Referring to the call-ups of Jakub Krzyżanowski, Marcel Łubik, and Kacper Duda, the White Star’s coach emphasized:

“Of course, call-ups to national teams, regardless of the level, are a great distinction for the players, but also for the club and a source of satisfaction for me. I’m very pleased that these players are going to camp. I think that if Kuzi had been fully fit, he would also have had a good chance of going away with the national team. I also congratulate Kuba, because it will be his first time with the youth national team; in my view, he absolutely deserves it. So I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for the lads. They will also have time to rest, because the camp starts on Wednesday, I believe, so they will have some time to recover and regenerate, which they also need.”

Goals scored in the final minutes of matches

Referring to the pre-match predictions about decisive moments in the closing stages of matches against Śląsk, Mariusz Jop observed:

“Statistics sometimes lie, but sometimes they tell the truth, and here it was indeed confirmed that the final 15 minutes are a period when Śląsk can score goals, but often concede them as well. So, as I said earlier, what matters most to me is our behavior and our mentality - the fact that we always play to win. In fact, you could see it in a certain way even when Śląsk scored the equalizer. It was clear why they had come here. There was no real push from them to win the match; it was clear that they were satisfied with the draw. From our side, in my view, it was absolutely clear that we wanted to win this match, and I think that attitude paid off.”

Squad situation and the international break

Commenting on the limited options for making attacking substitutions in recent matches and expectations regarding the return of injured players, the coach concluded:

“It is true that today we did not have many options for attacking substitutions. Oli Pławiński, a young player, was also available, but I do not want to throw him into matches like this when the game is so finely balanced. He has his strengths, but he also still needs to work on certain aspects. So there really were not many options for attacking changes. Of course, this three-week period before the next away match against Legia should, I hope, allow everyone or almost everyone to return to the team and genuinely compete for a place in the starting eleven.”

The full recording of the press conference is available on Wisła Kraków’s official YouTube channel - we encourage you to watch it and subscribe to stay up to date with the club’s content.