Two players picked up injuries in the last few matches: Raoul Giger and Jakub Stępak.

"As far as the goalkeepers are concerned, Neugebauer is moving into daily training with the first team. I can confirm that Gigi suffered an injury in the match against Piast, but the prognosis is not particularly bad in his case. The rest of the players can be considered for the matchday squad—or rather, not just twenty players, because the regulations have changed slightly and we can now include even more players, as many as twenty-three," Wisła Kraków coach Mariusz Jop began.

What can be improved defensively in a week?

"If we look at the basic statistics, such as xG, where the opponent had around 1.7 and scored four goals, that is a lot. But when we later analyse those goals, the second came when Gigi was effectively out of the action after suffering his injury. The third involved a lot of luck, because Max was hit on the hand and it was a penalty. However, we have to say that there were too many mistakes in our defensive play. Of course, a week is not a long time, but it is not as if we only started working on our defensive play on Monday. We simply went over certain things in detail once again, because when it comes to defensive actions, the key is for the team to stay close together and remain compact. That is a fundamental principle—firstly. Secondly, if we make a pressing jump, we all have to do it together. Nobody can switch off, and that is the basic issue," he said.

"Of course, there were mistakes, but we also have to take into account the circumstances of the match: how many transition phases there were, how intense it was, the conditions in which everything was done, and how the team pushed for an equaliser and then for the win. From the bench, I had the feeling that we were closer to winning than Piast, but it ended differently," he continued.

"However, the number of chances created and shots on target was certainly positive in the last match. As for our defensive play, certain details were discussed very firmly and explicitly, and we went over the basics again," he said.

Darijo’s fitness and the composition of the defensive unit.

"I can say that Dario will be in the wider squad for tomorrow’s match. I would not like to discuss individual players here. Of course, there is good competition in these positions. There is Mariusz Kutwa, there is also Biedra, and now Dario has joined us fully, so to speak. We are always considering the best solution for the team, and the same will apply in the next match: in our assessment, we will choose the optimal option for tomorrow’s game," the coach stated.

James Igbekeme’s form.

"A great many factors influence it. However, from an experienced footballer—because James certainly is one—we expect greater consistency in his form. That is obvious. I think this is more characteristic of younger players: sometimes they have a difficult spell, make a poor start to a match, and find it hard to turn things around. We talk about it a lot, including individually, and I hope we will see James at his best," the Biała Gwiazda coach assessed.

The changes made in Gliwice energised the play and clearly improved it.

"Of course, it is an indication. We also know that both Julius and Rodado are players who can take responsibility and carry the game in difficult moments. In terms of footballing ability, they are at a very high level. Statistically, they lose the ball much less often. If we look at the attacking phase and at keeping possession for longer—which is also something we would like to improve—they are players who could potentially give us that. Of course, I know what the lineup will be tomorrow, but I would not like to give such a definitive indication of who will make up the starting eleven," he replied.

Does the coach see room on the pitch for Rodado and Sanchez at the same time?

"For me and the staff, the first and most important criterion is what is best for the team at a given moment. Of course, we observe the players, who is in what kind of form, where the combinations are good, where they are effective, and what they give the team. We make decisions on that basis, because we see these players every day and know how they work and how things look in training. So certainly, such a pairing is possible in terms of the number nine and number ten positions," the coach replied.

Jeremi Guillemenot’s status.

"He is getting better and better. However, we have to remember that his break was very long, and it is not easy to step into a machine that is already working together and knows one another well and immediately shine. It is not that simple. Jérémy is working very well, and we have absolutely no complaints about him. He also has additional training sessions, he is getting closer, and he looks better and better, so we certainly need to be patient with this player. On the other hand, we will probably be able to see him on the pitch soon. He will be in the squad tomorrow," he stated.

Analysis of the opponent’s play.

"If we look only at the bare result, we can be misled: one goal scored, one conceded, and four points won. When we analyse the matches, it is indeed the case that the players from Płock may not have had a great deal of luck; rather, their opponents were wasteful. On the other hand, we also have to acknowledge that the Płock players had one-on-one chances in every match, and the goals they scored are also somewhat underestimated. So this is certainly a team that wants to build from the back. That is also characteristic of coach Majewski, who did it previously both in Mielec and with the national team. He is a coach who likes to build attacks through many passes. He has the players to do that. But I also think this is a team that is dangerous in transition and on the counterattack. They have two fast players, and I think it is clear that they sometimes look for that option. Set pieces are also one of this team’s strengths," he analysed.

The start of the match in Gliwice featured little possession and long passes from the goalkeeper.

"The strategy was fairly clear. When Piast approached us man-to-man, we had the wingers and Jordi positioned high, which potentially created two-versus-two situations across the opponent’s half, or sometimes three-versus-three situations across the opponent’s half. That was what we were looking for. Of course, the issue was the decisions and choices that followed—whether to do it or not—because the positioning on the pitch was changing. These are also decisions that were not always optimal; we know that. What I missed more was keeping the ball during the transition phase, because that was the bigger problem and why the statistics looked so poor. After winning the ball back several times, we lost it too quickly, simply with the first pass. It is not a problem if it is an attempted line-breaking pass, with movement into space and the aim of creating a one-on-one situation, because that option is available. If it is a simple, practically unforced error, that is a bigger problem, and then the statistics look poor. Of course, we want to exploit the space in behind when it is there, but that does not change the fact that we also want to build from the back. As I said before, certain formations influence our decisions, and then there are the players’ decisions on the pitch. We can say that there were a lot of those passes and that they were not effective, but one of them did work—and not just one. I think there were several moments when those long passes created opportunities. However, I also admit that my impression was that in several situations we should simply have kept the ball calmly closer to our own goal, switched play, and moved into more positional attacks. I think that also resulted partly from the way Piast played: they were very often in one-on-one situations. The match was characterised by a great many situations in front of both goals. On the one hand, it was enjoyable for a neutral fan to watch, because I think matches like that are entertaining from a spectator’s perspective. Of course, we would like to come away with points from such a game, because I have nothing against high-scoring matches; I would simply like more of the goals to be scored by Wisła Kraków," the coach said.

Does the left flank need tightening up?

"As for Božič, we know that he is not a defensively minded player. However, we also know how much he gives us going forward, because it is always a decision: do we look for more of that, or do we focus strongly on defending? That is one thing. Secondly, when it comes to defensive actions, I think Kuba Krzyżanowski ranks very highly in the statistics for duels, because in my opinion he does that at a very high level. On the other hand, there is again a slight shift in the opposite direction when it comes to his footballing qualities. These are always decisions for the staff and for me: which player to choose and with what profile, because we know each player’s strengths and weaknesses within the team, and sometimes we choose one option or another. Whether there will be changes specifically on our left side, I will not reveal, but I think that side also has its advantages," he replied.

Is the club still looking for a player for the number six position?

"I think nothing has changed regarding potential moves for this position. It was not by chance that we previously spoke about the number six position. I think the matter remains open. Putting aside the match against Piast or the match against GKS, this was one of the priorities, and in my assessment nothing has changed here. The possibilities are still there, the matter remains open, so perhaps someone will still join us for that position," he said.

"I do not remember anyone saying that the number six position was the number one priority. I think other positions were definitely highlighted as key areas for strengthening. The entire sporting department has done a great job in this respect, because the market is difficult as well. It is not easy to find players of a particular level who are ready to join Wisła Kraków. So I believe excellent work has been done," he assessed.

Is Wisła looking for its style of play in this league?

"We have our own style, but I think there is still much more to show from this team than what we displayed in the first two matches," he replied briefly.

What caused the lower effectiveness in Gliwice?

"When we observe the xG figure, it is often different from what the pitch shows, because it is sometimes underestimated or goes the other way. So individual form, concentration at certain moments, and a bit of footballing luck at others all play a role. There are many factors that influence whether we score goals or not. What matters, however, is that we create chances. I think that is always the starting point. The attacking statistics are positive, and I think that if our xG were at that level in every match, we would be satisfied with our attacking play," he analysed.

Assessment of Jordi Sanchez.

"That is the beauty of football: sometimes a player who, in the opinion of most people, seems likely to be number two or number three, or further down the hierarchy, takes his opportunity. I think that in Jordi’s case we can say that he earned this position through hard work. Of course, circumstances also favoured him, because Rodado had just returned from injury and Jérémy joined us a little later. However, if he had not worked as hard as he did during pre-season, we would have looked for another solution for the number nine position, because it is not as if we were forced to use Jordi there. I am very pleased that he has overcome his finishing problems, because we know that in the friendly matches he was creating chances in practically every game. I think that is always the priority for an attacking player: whether he is getting chances to score or not. After that, of course, it comes down to finishing. But it is not only Jordi. I think many strikers have periods when, once they start scoring, they go on a run and simply score a lot of goals on that wave of confidence. There are also periods when strikers lose their touch, and there are countless examples of that. I am pleased that Jordi is in a good moment now. It benefits him, it benefits the team, and of course we want to make the most of his good form," he concluded.

Who will be the favourite tomorrow?

"We are playing at home, in front of our own supporters. I see us as the favourites. We will do everything we can to give the fans positive emotions," coach Mariusz Jop concluded.