Puchacz left Lech Poznań in 2021 and started traveling abroad. At Union Berlin he did not break into the first team and was loaned to Trabzonspor, Panathinaikos Athens and FC Kaiserslautern. In 2024, he moved to Holstein Kiel, but in the middle of the season he was loaned to Plymouth Argyle, which was relegated from the Championship to the English third league.
Historic success of Puchacz. The Pole advanced to the elite
Puchacz's career was at a crossroads. From a player who was supposed to become the main left defender of the Polish national team, he became a player who was famous mainly for his colorful personality and creating a good atmosphere in the team. In 2025, he moved to Sabah FC, with whom he won the Azerbaijani championship, and then advanced to the Champions League, fulfilling his dream and reminding Polish fans of himself.
The Red Devils defeated Sabah
Sabah started this competition with a match at the legendary Old Trafford stadium and will certainly not have fond memories of this match. Manchester United took the lead in the 27th minute when Dane Patrick Dorgu crossed into the penalty area and Brazilian Matheus Cunha placed the ball in the goal near the left post. At the end of the first half, Portuguese Bruno Fernandes increased the score, assisted by Belgian Youri Tielemans and Slovenian Benjamin Sesko, using a pass from Cameroonian Bryan Mbeumo. In the second half, Argentine Lisandro Martinez made the match 4-0.
Three Poles played in the Slavia Prague - RC Lens match. The host team included Wiktor Nowak and Oskar Kubiak, who played in the national top league last season, and the guest team featured Michał Skóraś. The Czech champions were weak from the 49th minute after Mikulas Konecny's red card, but they still took the lead after Slovenian Danijel Sturm shot from a distance. In the 73rd minute, Senegalese Abdallah Sima equalized. Slavia led again, and Sturm scored a double. Ultimately, RC Lens won 3-2 after goals by Florian Thauvin and Ruben Aguilar.
Kane scores, Bayern wins
In turn, Bayern Munich was tied at half-time with Norwegian Bodoe/Glimt, which was the revelation of last season. However, at the beginning of the second half, Jamal Musiala scored a goal for the Bavarians, and Englishman Harry Kane made it 2-0. The 33-year-old striker scored his 55th goal and ranks 10th in the all-time Champions League rankings. Ultimately, Bayern won 5-0, with Canadian Alphonso Davies and Frenchman Michael Olise also scoring twice.
Debuting in the Champions League, Como won against RB Leipzig 4-1 after goals by Croatian Martin Baturina, Greek Anastasios Douvikas, Senegalese Assana Diao and Argentine Maximo Perrone. The honorary goal for the guests was scored by Serbian Andrija Maksimović. The matches of PSV Eindhoven with Shakhtar Donetsk and Fenerhahce Istanbul with Roma ended with the score 1:1.
After the first round of the Champions League regular phase, Paris Saint-Germain, defending the trophy, is leading in the table, having won against Slovan Bratislava 6-1. Bayern and Barcelona are next. Over the last four seasons, Polish fans have become accustomed to Robert Lewandowski scoring goals for Barcelona. The new edition of the Champions League is taking place without him. In June, the player's contract with the "Pride of Catalonia" expired and the now 38-year-old striker moved to Chicago Fire.
Lewandowski is third in the all-time Champions League rankings with 109 goals, behind only two absolute football legends - Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who also play outside Europe. The Portuguese scored 140 goals, and the Argentine - 129. Teams from places 1-8 will qualify for the 1/8 finals of the Champions League after eight rounds, while teams from places 9-24 will fight to advance to this round in the play-offs. Those that finish the regular part of the season in places 25-36 will be eliminated from European cups.
The matches of the 2nd round of the regular phase are scheduled for October 13-14. The final will take place on June 5 at the Atletico stadium in Madrid.
