Velde’s record-breaking season

The 23-year-old’s performance against Cracovia was an impressive spectacle and his presence on the pitch was decisive, especially in the first half. Velde was the one who cleverly converted Artur Sobiech’s pass into the opening goal. In the following two goals, he was the author of the last passes which set up Filip Marchiwński and Michał Skóraś with great scoring opportunities. His impact on the win against Cracovia is indisputable, hence the numerous nominations for the PKO BP Ekstraklasa best line-up of the 31^st round aren’t a surprise.

Velde has already contributed to 19 goals this season, which makes the current campaign his best one so far. In the year previous to his transfer to Lech, the Norwegian winger scored 7 goals and got 11 assists for FK Haugesund, all in the league matches. This season, Velde contributed to goals in the league and in European competition. Interestingly, he beat his personal best having spent 12 minutes less than in the last season at FK Haugesund.

“Of course, I am happy with the numbers, especially considering how much time I spent on the pitch. I don’t want to stop here; as a team, we still have a lot to do this season. It also applies to me – recently, I made a bet with Vice-President Piotr Rutkowski, hence I have additional motivation to improve my personal statistics,” said Velde, smiling mysteriously.

Velde feels best when playing on the left wing and that’s where he was positioned in the clash with Cracovia. The Norwegian highlights that as a left winger, he is most capable of having a positive impact on the team. Nonetheless, the Norwegian can be equally dangerous to the defenders when playing on the other flank. In the last 20 minutes of the clash with Cracovia Velde played as… a striker. “I used to play on this position back in Norway, but here in Poland, it’s not an easy role. I am capable of adjusting, making the most of my strengths in the clashes with centre-backs, but it’s on the wing that I am most effective. Nevertheless, on Saturday I greatly enjoyed playing on both positions. Despite a difficult start, I felt very good,” emphasized Velde.

Kristoffer Velde’s statistics - 2022/23:

Matches: 45
Minutes: 2428
Goals: 13
Assists: 6