The derby is ours! Wisła Kraków beat Cracovia 2:1!
Damian Urbaniec
The Great Kraków Derby goes to the White Star! Wisła Kraków beat Cracovia 2-1 in round 14 of the PKO BP Ekstraklasa. Goals from Marc Carbó and Marko Božić earned Wisła three points!
The fans had been waiting four years for a match like this! W on Friday evening, November 6, the Great Kraków Derby returned to the Ekstraklasa pitches. At Reymonta, in front of 31,849 spectators, Wisła Kraków faced Cracovia in the 204th edition of the derby. The match lived up to expectations. Three goals, a penalty, a VAR intervention, and a red card ensured there was no shortage of excitement from the opening minutes to the final whistle. In the end, Mariusz Jop's team celebrated a 2-1 victory, extending their run of home Ekstraklasa wins to seven matches.
Strong start and an early Wisła lead
From the opening whistle, both teams took to the contest with great intensity. In the 5th minute, the hosts created the first good chance. Julius Ertlthaler crossed from a free kick, and Darijo Grujčić headed the ball toward goal. Sebastian Madejski managed to make the save, however. Moments later, the visitors had a dangerous set piece, but Mateusz Klich's shot was blocked by the wall.
W the 9th minute, the stands at Reymonta erupted with joy! After a pass from Julius Ertlthaler, the ball reached Marc Carbó, who opted for a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. The ball took a deflection off one of Cracovia's defenders and nestled in the net just inside the post. Wisła took a 1-0 lead, and the Spanish midfielder scored an incredibly important goal in the derby.
The hosts' joy did not last long, however. W the 17th minute, Marc Carbó and Otar Kakabadze clashed in Wisła's penalty area. Szymon Marciniak initially saw no foul, but after a VAR review, he changed his decision and awarded Cracovia a penalty. Ajdin Hasić stepped up, but Marcel Łubik saved his shot. Unfortunately, the ball fell back to the visiting player's feet, and he scored on the rebound to equalize in the 20th minute.
Božić gives his team the lead before halftime!
After the equalizer, the contest remained tight, with both teams looking for more chances. Wisła tried to regain the initiative, attempting to build attacks through the middle and down the wings. W In the 40th minute, Ertlthaler shot after a pass from Jakub Krzyżanowski, but Madejski saved it. Marko Božić also looked for an opportunity.
The first half was interrupted several times because smoke from pyrotechnics used in the stands drifted onto the pitch. The referee therefore decided to add extra minutes, which proved extremely important to the outcome of the match.
W In the 45+2nd minute, the White Star took the lead again! Ángel Rodado won a duel with Cracovia's defenders, and the ball found Marko Božić. The Austrian kept his cool and beat Sebastian Madejski with a precise left-footed shot to make it 2-1!
Wisła had no intention of stopping there. Before heading to the dressing room, the home side created more dangerous chances from corner kicks. Carbó, Kacper Duda and Grujčić all had attempts, but the visitors' defense managed to block their shots. The teams went into the break with Wisła leading 2-1.
The fight to hold onto the lead
After the break, the match changed its character somewhat. Cracovia began attacking more boldly, while the home side focused on responsible defending and looking for opportunities to launch quick counterattacks.
W In the 56th minute, Marcel Łubik confidently saved Martin Minczew's shot. Shortly afterward, Ángel Rodado tried to respond but couldn't get the ball into the net. W In the following minutes, the visitors increased the pressure. W In the 63rd minute, Łubik made a successful save after Hasic's shot, then also dealt with Kakabadze's attempt.
Wisła weathered a difficult spell in the match and, as time went on, began to threaten the opposition goal again. W in the 83rd minute, Ertlthaler had a chance, but Madejski saved his shot. Two minutes later, Rodado had an excellent opportunity to extend the lead. The Spaniard got away from his markers and shot toward the far post, but the ball narrowly missed the goal.
A nervy finish and great joy at Reymonta!
The final minutes brought another wave of excitement. Cracovia tried to equalize, while Wisła consistently defended their lead. W in the 90+3rd minute, the visitors were reduced to ten men after Mateusz Klich committed a reckless foul on Jérémiem Guillemenot. Szymon Marciniak showed the Cracovia midfielder a red card without hesitation.
Despite being a man down, the visitors made another attempt to score a second goal, but Wisła successfully repelled their attacks. The hosts also had chances to launch counterattacks, but the score remained unchanged.
After the final whistle at the Reymonta Stadium, the celebrations got underway. Wisła Kraków beat Cracovia 2:1, claiming three hugely valuable points and their seventh consecutive home victory in the current PKO BP Ekstraklasa season.
The Great Kraków Derby goes to the White Star!
Wisła Kraków - Cracovia 2:1 (2:1)
Goals: 1:0 Carbó 9, 1:1 Hasić 20, 2:1 Božić 45+2.
Wisła: Łubik - Giger, Uryga, Grujčić (79 Maisonneuve), Krzyżanowski – Carbó (90 Meseguer), Duda - Duarte, Ertlthaler, Božić (79 Lelieveld) – Rodado (90 Guillemenot).
Cracovia: Madejski - Kakabadze, Henriksson (84 Baumgartner), Traoré, Burlet - Hasić, Knap (90 Piła), Klich, Al-Ammari (84 Zahiroleslam), Minczew (60 Ltaief) - Nordås (60 Berte).
Referees: Szymon Marciniak (Płock), with Tomasz Listkiewicz (Warsaw) and Piotr Podbielski (Augustów) as assistants.
Yellow cards: Božić, Łubik - Minczew, Nordås, Kakabadze, Burlet, Zahiroleslam.
Red card: Klich (90+3).
Attendance: 31 849.
The derby is ours! Wisła Kraków beat Cracovia 2:1!