Pogoń Szczecin achieved a sensational 1:0 victory over the favored Górnik Zabrze, breaking a streak of 17 years without a win at the Roosevelt Street stadium. The decisive goal was scored by Fredrik Ulvestad from a penalty kick in stoppage time, which deprived the hosts of a chance to take the top spot. Meanwhile, Raków Częstochowa recorded its first win in 2026, defeating Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza in an atmosphere of refereeing controversies concerning handball incidents.

Pogoń's Historic Triumph

The Portowcy ended a 17-year winless streak in Zabrze, defeating Górnik 1:0 with a penalty in the 90th minute.

Controversy Around Handballs

The PZPN Referees Committee had to explain discrepancies in penalizing handball incidents in the Raków and Pogoń matches.

Raków's Breakthrough

The 2023 Polish champion secured its first win in the spring round thanks to a goal by Ivi Lopez.

Power Failure in Pruszków

The 1st league match between Znicz and Pogoń Grodzisk was interrupted by a sudden failure of the floodlights.

The matches of the 22nd round of the PKO Ekstraklasa brought outcomes that significantly impacted the power balance in the league table. The match in Zabrze resonated the most, where Pogoń Szczecin, occupying a mid-table position, defeated the league runner-up. For most of the match, Górnik controlled the flow of the game, hitting the goal frame twice. However, in the 90th minute, after an intervention by the VAR system, the referee awarded a penalty for a handball by Josema. The effective executor turned out to be Fredrik Ulvestad, securing the Portowcy their first away victory since August of last year. The rivalry between Górnik Zabrze and Pogoń Szczecin has a long tradition dating back to the 1950s. In the history of Polish football, Górnik is one of the most decorated clubs with 14 championship titles, while Pogoń, despite its long presence in the top flight, is still waiting for its first league trophy.„Potrebujeme viac šťastia a viac kvality. Keby sa na začiatku zápasu lopta po strele Maksyma Chłania odrazila od žrde a padla do bránky, vyhrali by sme tento zápas.” (We need more luck and more quality. If at the beginning of the match the ball had bounced off the post from Maksym Chłan's shot and gone into the goal, we would have won this match.) — Michal GasparikConcurrently in Częstochowa, Raków narrowly defeated Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza. The only goal was scored by Ivi Lopez, for whom it was his first goal after a long break due to injury. However, the match sparked a heated discussion in the football community due to a decision by referee Paweł Raczkowski. The referee, despite reviewing replays, did not award a penalty to Nieciecza for a handball by Jean Carlos Silva, which drew criticism from, among others, former PZPN president Zbigniew Boniek. 6002 — days Pogoń Szczecin waited for a victory in ZabrzeIn the lower league, a rarely seen situation occurred during the regional derby between Znicz Pruszków and Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki. The match was halted in the second half due to a sudden lighting failure at the stadium, which plunged the pitch into total darkness and caused confusion among players and fans. Selected Results of the 22nd Ekstraklasa Round: Górnik Zabrze: 0, Pogoń Szczecin: 1, Raków Częstochowa: 1, Termalica Nieciecza: 0, Piast Gliwice: 1, Motor Lublin: 2

Mentioned People

  • Fredrik Ulvestad — Norwegian midfielder for Pogoń Szczecin, scorer of the winning goal in Zabrze.
  • Michal Gasparik — Coach of Górnik Zabrze, expressed regret over his team's lack of effectiveness.
  • Ivi Lopez — Raków Częstochowa player, scorer of the decisive goal in the match against Nieciecza.
  • Paweł Raczkowski — Football referee, criticized for not awarding a penalty to Termalika.