Raków Częstochowa have learned their opponent for the last 16 of the Polish Cup. Monday's draw paired them with Fortuna I liga side Polonia Warszawa. The Częstochowa side, who sit 18th in the Ekstraklasa with just six points from twelve games, having recorded two wins and ten defeats while scoring 16 and conceding 28 goals, will see the cup as a welcome distraction.

The tie will be played in Warsaw, with the exact date and time to be confirmed by the Polish Football Association later. For Raków, who sit 18th in the Ekstraklasa with just six points, the cup clash offers a chance to bounce back from a difficult league start. The team has managed only two wins from their opening twelve matches.

Polonia's manager, Piotr Stokowiec, admitted the draw was not kind to his team. “It's a tough opponent, but in the Polish Cup there is always room for a surprise,” said Stokowiec. His comments suggest the second-tier side will not be a straightforward opponent for Raków. The Częstochowa team must focus on their own performance, especially as their recent form over the last five games reads DLWLW, two wins, one draw and two defeats. This sequence includes a 1-1 draw with Motor Lublin on Saturday 27 October, preceded by a 2-1 loss to Wisla Krakow and a 2-1 victory over Wieczysta Kraków.

The Polish Cup represents a realistic chance for Raków to win silverware and qualify for European competition, having had successful runs in the tournament in previous years. Before the cup tie, however, Raków must concentrate on the league, where they host fourth-placed Pogon Szczecin this Saturday, 2 November.

The 1-1 draw with Motor Lublin last time out, courtesy of a Lamine Diaby-Fadiga stoppage-time goal, earned a point but did little to improve their dire league position. The coming weeks will show if the team can seize their cup opportunity while also making up ground in the league, where they trail leaders Lech Poznan by 22 points. In attack, Raków will look to top scorer this season, P. Makuch, who has six goals to his name.

Background and full detail: rakow.com