Reigning champions Toruń slip out of playoff places after away loss at Leszno

Match summary

On Friday evening at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium, Fogo Unia Leszno beat defending champions Pres Toruń 49-41 in the eighth round of the PGE Ekstraliga. The home side led 14-10 after four heats, then took control in the third series with a 5-1 win and two 4-2 advantages, stretching the gap to 35-25 after ten heats. Toruń could not recover, and Leszno also claimed the aggregate bonus point after a narrow 46-44 first-leg loss in Toruń. The result extends Toruń's losing streak in Leszno to ten consecutive away defeats.

Away form under the microscope

Toruń entered the match third in the table with 10 points but had collected only two away points all season, from a win at winless Częstochowa. Leszno, unbeaten at home, had already beaten Częstochowa, Gorzów and Lublin on their own track. The champions' road frailties were exposed again, as they mustered only 41 points and lost the third series 5-13.

“There's no pressure on the team about making the top four. Unia are very well suited to their track and incredibly dangerous at home.”

Individual performances

Robert Lambert was the lone bright spot for Toruń, scoring 16 points and winning four of his five rides. Patryk Dudek added 9 points but touched the tapes in heat 11 when his team had a chance to close the gap. Emil Sajfutdinow managed 7, while Mikkel Michelsen collected only 5 and was replaced tactically by Lambert in heat 11. Norick Bloedorn failed to score.

Robert Lambert16

Patryk Dudek9

Emil Sajfutdinow7

Mikkel Michelsen5

Antoni Kawczyński2

Mikołaj Duchiński2

Nicolai Heiselberg1

Norick Bloedorn0

Robert Lambert

16

Patryk Dudek

9

Emil Sajfutdinow

7

Mikkel Michelsen

5

Antoni Kawczyński

2

Mikołaj Duchiński

2

Nicolai Heiselberg

1

Norick Bloedorn

0

Data from the article text

For Leszno, Nazar Parnicki top-scored with 12 points (10 plus two bonus points). Captain Janusz Kołodziej contributed 11, and reserve rider Emil Konieczny scored his first point in the Ekstraliga. Ben Cook sealed the win with a heat 15 victory over Lambert and Kołodziej.

Nazar Parnicki12

Janusz Kołodziej11

Ben Cook9

Piotr Pawlicki8

Keynan Rew8

Grzegorz Zengota4

Emil Konieczny2

Kacper Mania1

Nazar Parnicki

12

Janusz Kołodziej

11

Ben Cook

9

Piotr Pawlicki

8

Keynan Rew

8

Grzegorz Zengota

4

Emil Konieczny

2

Kacper Mania

1

Data from the article text

Rider reactions

“After my first start I made adjustments and was very fast. Later, when the hosts stopped watering the track, I made changes again and that was a mistake. I was searching for the optimal setup until the end but didn't find it.”

“The track changed suddenly. Before the first two series it was watered, then they stopped. I touched the tape in heat 11, which is very rare for me. It's been a struggle to adapt to the new tyres.”

Playoff picture

The defeat drops Toruń out of the top four with six rounds left. Their remaining away fixtures include a trip to Grudziądz, and they must now take points on the road to keep their title defence alive. While the team still has the potential on paper, the inconsistency outside Toruń leaves them with almost no margin for error.