A “different” win

Saturday was an important day for Lech Poznań, its players, coaches, and staff. What the team managed to accomplish twice last season seemed to be beyond reach in the current campaign. Winning against Legia has always meant more to Lech’s community than any other league triumph. It was no different this time. The win against the current vice-champions was even more valuable to those who haven’t experienced it before, especially since Lech was playing in front of their own – although limited in numbers – crowd.

“It was a totally different match than the one back in May; the atmosphere was different, the fans were back, and we got some great support from the stands which helped us a lot, especially in the closing minutes of the match when we were tired. The fans lifted us up. I wish we could let in more fans. Having 40-thousand crowd support you in a match like that would have been amazing; that’s the kind of games I joined Lech for,” explained Lubomir Šatka.

His two, younger teammates – Puchacz and Moder – who spent last season on loan in lower-division sides, agreed with the Slovakian centre back. Now the two Academy products play a key role in the senior squad and it was no different in the match against Legia. “I don’t think I have experienced anything similar this season, I am shaking and I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I am so overjoyed that there are no words to describe it,” said Puchacz, half-joking. “It’s an amazing feeling because aside from the fact that we play for Lech, we are also the club’s fans. Such a win is a dream come true for many of us,” added Moder.

All players were well aware of the stakes long before the kickoff. However, one of the most important things was to manage the pressure and motivation levels. “After the first match against Legia, I felt how special those games were and I wanted to win against the team from the capital as soon as possible. We only managed to do that third time around but it still means a lot to all of us. In the dressing room, we emphasised that we needed to stay cool, play our football and I believe it all went well,” summarised the Slovakian centre back.