Thriller and a nasty injury! They will play in the Ekstraklasa play-off final

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The first play-off finalist was chosen in Płock. There, Wisła hosted Polonia Warszawa, who dreamed of a great chance to return to the Ekstraklasa after many years. It didn't work out, although the Black Shirts were the first to take the lead. After Andrias Edmundsson's equalizer and Dani Pacheco's brilliant goal in the final minutes, the Oilers are still in the game for the elite.

In Krakow, the belief in returning to the Ekstraklasa was huge. Hopes were fueled only by the last three wins in the Betclic 1. Liga against GKS Tychy (2:0), Stal Stalowa Wola (5:0) and Stal Rzeszów (3:0). Since being relegated in 2022, the White Star made it to the play-offs for the second time. In 2023, Puszcza Niepołomice came out on top in the semi-finals, and the result of 1:4 was a dream for fans for months. A year ago, the team from Krakow won the Polish Cup, but in the Ekstraklasa they only took 10th place.

Mariusz Jop's team faced Miedź, which was relegated to the 1st league a year later. Wojciech Łobodziński's team was aiming for the play-offs, but after three defeats in the league it seemed that their morale was not looking good.

On the other hand, the fans helped Wisła, but also put a lot of pressure on them. In addition, after Wojciech Łobodziński returned to Legnica, Miedź won the last match against Wisła 2:1.

The hosts had their chance in the fourth minute when Adnan Kovacevic let himself be pushed through and Kacper Duda had a great chance. However, Jakub Wrąbel saved the shot brilliantly. The goalkeeper also dealt with a powerful shot by Rafał Mikulec.

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Frederico Duarte also had a very good chance after a pass from Duda, and when he found himself in the penalty area on the left, he struck the ball on the ground just outside the right post. Mateusz Grudziński responded from the other side, but his attempt from distance was blocked by Kamil Broda.

The White Star could have been leading after a great shot by Duda, but he lacked a few centimetres. The ball bounced off the crossbar, and the missed opportunity came back to bite him in a flash. In the 36th minute, Michael Kostka put Miedź in the lead in a great way. A long-range shot with his right foot was within Broda's reach, but it broke his arms. The ball ended up in the net, which caused great anxiety in the stands.

Fate did not spare the hosts. Due to an injury, Angel Baena could not continue playing in the second half, and in the 49th minute something much more serious happened. Rafał Mikulec suffered a very serious injury after a clash with Juliusz Letniowski. It turned out that an ambulance was necessary on the pitch, which stopped there for less than fifteen minutes. As the commentator of the match Marcin Feddek reported on TVP Sport, the defender has a suspected fracture of the tibia. The player was moved to a stretcher and then transported to the hospital by ambulance.

After a long forced break, Wisła continued to dominate, and Wrąbel had to intervene, among others, after Duda's shot and the rebound after that attempt. To make matters worse, Poletanović could not continue playing, and coach Jop had to make another change.

The clock ticked down, and Wisła continued to lose. The fans could tremble when they saw the 90th minute of the play-off semi-final on the scoreboard. Due to the intervention of doctors, referee Bartosz Frankowski added 17 minutes. The hosts were approaching the opponents' penalty area with more and more players. This brought more opportunities. After another ricochet, this time after a shot by Jesus Alfaro, the ball bounced off the crossbar.

The massed attacks could be pleasing, but the subsequent inaccurate shots made the fans hold their heads. After Alfaro's cross, Angel Rodado hit the post with seconds left in the match. Łukasz Zwoliński tried his hand, but he didn't even hit the target. After the final whistle, the White Star players fell to the pitch. The nightmares from two years ago returned.

In the play-off final on Sunday, June 1, Wisła Płock will play at home against Miedź Legnica. Earlier, Arka Gdynia and Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza were promoted directly to the Ekstraklasa.