Jagiellonia Białystok reaches Europa League league phase with 2-1 win over Iberia Tbilisi
Jagiellonia Białystok defeated Georgian champions Iberia 1999 Tbilisi 2-1 on Thursday to secure a 6-1 aggregate victory in the Europa League play-off round.
Victory in Tbilisi
Jagiellonia Białystok secured a 2-1 away victory over Georgian champions Iberia 1999 Tbilisi on Thursday, completing a 6-1 aggregate win in the Europa League play-off round. The Polish side entered the second leg holding a 4-0 advantage established during the first match in Białystok. Both teams started in Tbilisi with unchanged lineups from the opening leg, under the supervision of Italian referee Simone Sozza. In the 5th minute, goalkeeper Sławomir Abramowicz stopped a header from Vahid Selimovic before launching a counterattack that ended with Jesus Imaz hitting the side netting. Jagiellonia opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Imaz converted a penalty awarded after Giorgi Kobuladze handled a header from Kajetan Szmyt.
Match progression and second-half winner
Iberia Tbilisi responded four minutes later, equalising in the 35th minute through a curling finish by winger Zviad Natchkhebia following a defensive turnover. The Georgian hosts retained possession through portions of the opening half, but Jagiellonia adjusted their pressing structure after the interval to limit further chances. Danish midfielder Anders Klynge restored the visitors' lead in the 70th minute with a low strike inside the box following a pass from Imaz. The 2-1 victory earned Jagiellonia their first qualification for the league phase of the UEFA Europa League after two prior seasons in the UEFA Conference League. In other European qualifying action on Thursday, Polish club Górnik Zabrze was eliminated after a 4-1 away defeat against AS Monaco.
- Sławomir Abramowicz saves a Vahid Selimovic header to spark a counterattack
- Jesus Imaz scores a penalty awarded for a handball by Giorgi Kobuladze
- Zviad Natchkhebia equalises for Iberia Tbilisi with a curling finish
- Anders Klynge scores the decisive goal from an assist by Jesus Imaz
- Jagiellonia Białystok
- 6 goals
- Iberia 1999 Tbilisi
- 1 goals
Post-match reactions and European ambitions
Before the match, Jagiellonia head coach Adrian Siemieniec stated that the squad aimed to win the second leg rather than protect their aggregate lead.
To be honest, the result of the first match does not really interest me as a coach, because above all there is a strong desire and hunger in us for another victory. We flew to Georgia to win the match, not to defend an advantage.
Team captain Taras Romańczuk noted the collective performance and the value of collecting ranking points for Polish football.
We are very happy. Looking at the tie as a whole, we deserved this qualification. I am glad we added more points to the UEFA ranking. We will celebrate briefly, but we return right away because another league match awaits us.
Romańczuk also named Italian club AC Milan as his preferred draw for the upcoming league phase, citing his childhood support for Ukrainian forward Andriy Shevchenko.
Fan fall during celebrations
The post-match celebrations in Tbilisi were interrupted when a Jagiellonia supporter fell several meters over a barrier near the visiting section. Players rushed to the edge of the pitch to check on the supporter, and the away stand fell silent. Journalist Kuba Seweryn reported from the stadium that medical staff in ambulances stationed near the stands provided immediate on-site assistance. The supporter remained conscious and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where subsequent reports indicated he avoided life-threatening injuries. Jagiellonia returns to domestic competition on Sunday with an away match against Raków Częstochowa at 14:45.
