After the dismissal of Aleksandar Vuković, Widzew Łódź started the match against Legia with a new coach, Mateusz Stolarski, who managed Motor Lublin in 2024-26 and previously was Goncalo Feio's assistant in this club.
The Legionnaires were the favorites of Sunday's match because they had not been defeated in the top league this season, while Widzew had only one victory.
Previously, both teams faced each other 86 times. Legia won 45 matches, Widzew 20, and 21 matches ended in a draw. The last victory in Warsaw was recorded by the inhabitants of Łódź in 1997.
Drągowski's Kiks
In the 10th minute, Widzew's winger, Mariusz Fornalczyk, broke through on the left side and crossed the ball into the penalty area, but the ball was caught by Legia's goalkeeper, Otto Hindrich.
The hosts took the lead in the 19th minute. Rafał Augustyniak scored directly from a free kick and surprised goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski, who made a serious mistake. Legia fans started singing towards the goalkeeper of the Polish national team: "Hey Drągowski, what have you done, you missed such a scoundrel."
Widzew corresponds to Legia
Widzew's response was immediate. Fornalczyk crossed from the right wing. Karol Świderski hit without receiving. The ball bounced off Kamil Piątkowski's back and fell into the goal. It was counted as an own goal by the Legia defender.
After a while, Fornalczyk passed to Spaniard Fran Alvarez, who hit the post. Legia could talk about great luck. Then Bartosz Kapustka fired a missed shot from distance. Later, Augustyniak hit the crossbar after a corner kick.
Widzew's response was to hit the Dane Emil Kornvig. Świderski also had a good opportunity, but he hit the ball dirty and did not surprise Hindrich.
A brawl at the end
Legia started the second half with enthusiasm and could have taken the lead, but Drągowski and the defenders stopped the hosts' attacks. Widzew responded with a shot by Fornalczyk, which was blocked by Augustyniak.
In the 53rd minute, Piątkowski crossed the ball to Czech striker Jan Kuchta, who missed the target with his header. Then Alvarez took a shot, and the ball was blocked by Augustyniak on the goal line. Later, Widzew launched a dangerous counterattack. Croatian Stipe Biuk passed to Fornalczyk, but the winger, who closed the action, did not have time to reach the ball and hit it cleanly.
The guests created a threat after the free kick and Hindrich had to intervene when the ball bounced off Paweł Wszołek and headed towards the goal.
In extra time, after Antoni Klukowski's foul on the Portuguese Ruben Vinagre, there was a brawl in which even reserve players from both teams took part, but the referee gave yellow cards to only two players who started the whole incident.
Legia has 16 points and is second in the table. Górnik Zabrze is in the lead - 18 points. Widzew is in 11th place with eight points.
In the next round, Widzew will play Wieczysta Kraków, and Legia will face Jagiellonia Białystok away.
Legia Warszawa - Widzew Łódź 1:1 (1:1)
Goals: 1:0 Rafał Augustyniak (19), 1:1 Kamil Piątkowski (21 own goals).
Yellow cards - Legia Warszawa: Ruben Vinagre. Widzew Łódź: Karol Świderski, Mariusz Fornalczyk, Antoni Klukowski.
Referee: Patryk Gryckiewicz (Toruń). Viewers: 27,098.
Legia Warsaw: Otto Hindrich - Kamil Piątkowski (88. Arkadiusz Reca), Rafał Augustyniak, Robert Deziel - Paweł Wszołek, Wojciech Urbański, Bartosz Kapustka (74. Damian Szymański), Ruben Vinagre - Michal Sevcik (73. Jakub Żewłakow), Jan Kuchta (74. Bohdan Wjunnyk), Mateusz Szczepaniak (62. Rafał Adamski).
Widzew Łódź: Bartłomiej Drągowski - Marcel Krajewski (65. Mateusz Żyro), Przemysław Wiśniewski, Steve Kapuadi, Mario Garcia - Stipe Biuk (84. Antoni Klukowski), Fran Alvarez (65. Dani Silva), Giannis Papanikolaou, Emil Kornvig, Mariusz Fornalczyk - Karol Świderski (74. Sebastian Bergier).
