FK Sarajevo - Lech Poznan 2:0

Lech Poznan is a step closer to advancing to the next round of Champions League qualifications. Hamalainen and Thomalla helped Lech secure a two-goal win in the match against FK Sarajevo.

Lech was to start off Champions League qualifications against a tough rival. The experts unanimously emphasized that FK Sarajevo is the most demanding opponent of the ones that the team from Poznan could have drawn out. In addition, the first leg was to be played out in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina where the temperature is often higher than 30 degrees.

Coach Skorza decided to make one change in the squad that won the Super Cup against Legia on Friday. Instead of Marcin Robak it was Denis Thomalla that played as no. 9 due to his good performance against the rival from Warsaw. However, in the 8th minute Skorza was forced to change his plan. Karol Linetty called for a change and Dariusz Dudka replaced his injured colleague.

Shortly after the change the hosts attacked. Leon Benko took over the ball from one of Lech's players and raced into the penalty area, however his shot was inaccurate and it merely hit the side net. 15 minutes later the team from Poznan had a chance of its own when Kownacki sent a long ball to Thomalla, but the latter lacked centimeters to redirect the ball into the net.

Since then on most of the play took place in the midfield. There were little goal attempts and if either of the team caused any trouble to its opponent, it was following free kicks or corner kicks. Nonetheless, the ball was blocked by the defense line or was too inaccurate to be any threat. In the 30th minute Sarajevo's penalty area turned into chaos and Lech was close to scoring its first goal. First Hamalainen hit the crossbar, then Kadar's shot was blocked and at last Kownacki tried to send the ball into the net himself, however the defenders blocked this shot, too.

The fans at the Olimpic Stadium finally got to see something exciting. The Bosnian team occupied Lech's penalty for a while, until Skorza's players finally counterattacked.  Szymon Pawlowski's fast offensive actions ended with a corner kick for Lech. Although Kownacki came close to beating Sarajevo's goalkeeper, the young forward got injured in the meantime and Dariusz Formella had to fill in the gap. Despite the injuries that had an impact on the team, Lech scored the first goal shortly after the second change was made. 5 minutes before halftime Tralka won the ball back close to the sideline and he played it into the penalty area where Hamalainen was waiting. The Finnish footballer managed to redirect the ball into the net despite Ostraković's desperate intervention. When Lech scored the goal FK Sarajevo played in 10 men. Stepanow, who should have been marking Hamalainen in that offensive action, was given medical attention by the sidelines. Sarajevo paid a high price for the absence of its defender.

The hosts came in for the second half with a clear aim to equalize as fast as possible. However, Lech's defense did not make many mistakes that night and so Bosnians' attacks weren't successful. Duljević and Benko tried surprising Buric with an occasional shot, but Lech's goalkeeper was focused and intervened well each time.

The team from Poznan was concentrated on counterattacks. Lech's fast offensive actions did not bring favorable results, but one of the free kicks did. Douglas was the one to execute a free kick from the sideline and his precise center was converted into a goal by Thomalla, who freed himself from the marking and headed the ball into the net. Nonetheless, the team from Bosnia and Herzegovina remained attacking ambitiously. Puzigaca and Benko had good opportunities to diminish the losses, but it was either inaccuracy or Buric's intervention that secured the result. The hosts were determined to score, however Lech's great defense was hard to overcome on that Tuesday night and at last Lech took the two-goal advantage home.

FK Sarajevo Lech Poznań 0:2 (0:1)

Goals: Hamalainen (40), Thomalla (60)

Yellow cards: Barbarić, Duljević, Puzigaca Formella, Kędziora, Jevtić

FK Sarajewo: Ostraković Hebibović, Stepanov, Barbarić, Puzigaca Cimirot, Radovac (78. Rustemović), Stojcev (65. Alispahić), Duljević, Velkoski (73. Bekić) Benko

Lech: Burić Kędziora, Kamiński, Kadar, Douglas Trałka, Linetty (8. Dudka) Kownacki (38. Formella), Hamalainen, Pawłowski (78. Jevtić) - Thomalla