Raków Częstochowa lost 2-1 to Wisla Krakow in Saturday's Ekstraklasa matchday 12 fixture. The decisive goal was scored by Kacper Duda in the 10th minute of added time, assisted by Alan Uryga.
The match in Krakow started goalless. The hosts opened the scoring in the 53rd minute through Julius Ertlthaler, who finished a pass from Julian Lelieveld. Raków managed to equalise from a penalty in the 84th minute. Lamine Diaby Fadiga confidently beat Wisla goalkeeper Łubik. It was his third goal in the last two league games. Deep into stoppage time, after the tenth added minute, Kacper Duda capitalised on confusion in the visitors' penalty area to make it 2-1.
Dawid Szwarga's team had 42% possession but took the same number of shots as their opponent, thirteen. The issue was accuracy, with only two hitting the target. Wisla were more precise, forcing Trelowski into eight saves. Raków committed fewer fouls (6 to 13) but received two yellow cards, for Jerzy Napieraj and Lamine Diaby Fadiga.
Raków manager Dawid Szwarga made four substitutions. At half-time, Karol Struski and Mahir Emreli came on for Fran Tudor and Tomasz Pienko. In the 63rd minute, Vladyslav Kochergin and Jakub Jendryka replaced Marko Bulat and Jean Carlos.
This defeat keeps Raków Częstochowa in 18th, bottom place in the Ekstraklasa standings. The team has just six points from eleven matches played, a record of two wins and nine losses. Their recent form shows two wins and three losses from their last five games. This season, the side has scored fifteen goals but conceded twenty-six, giving them a goal difference of minus eleven. Leaders Gornik Zabrze are twenty-one points ahead of Raków. This Saturday's loss to Wisla was part of an inconsistent run where Raków lost 1-4 to GKS Katowice, won 4-1 against Polonia Bytom, lost 2-3 to Zaglebie Lubin and 3-2 to Korona Kielce, and also won 2-1 against Wieczysta Kraków. The next challenge is a Polish Cup match against Motor Lublin on Tuesday. Then, on Saturday 31 October, Raków play at home against fourth-placed Pogon Szczecin. Patryk Makuch, currently the team's top scorer with six goals in eleven appearances, will be key in those encounters.
Raków Częstochowa confirmed that in the match against Wisła Kraków, referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski initially awarded a penalty to Raków in the 8th minute, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. In the 80th minute, a penalty for Raków was only given after a VAR intervention. Manager Dawid Szwarga commented, "We only took one of our chances." Following this defeat, Raków has scored 16 and conceded 28 goals this season.
