GKS Katowice defeats Cracovia 3:2 with 90th-minute winner by Ilja Szkurin
Ilja Szkurin scored in the 90th minute at Nowa Bukowa to hand GKS Katowice a 3:2 win, extending Cracovia's losing streak to five matches across all competitions.
First half dominance without goals
GKS Katowice hosted Cracovia in matchday 9 of the PKO BP Ekstraklasa at Nowa Bukowa on Saturday. The hosts controlled almost two-thirds of possession during the opening 45 minutes, creating several clear opportunities behind Cracovia's defensive line. In the second minute, Mateusz Wdowiak broke clear against Sebastian Madejski but sent his lob onto the roof of the net. Five minutes later, Bartosz Nowak struck the crossbar with a volley from distance. GKS Katowice hit the woodwork three times before the interval, with Wdowiak curling a shot against the post in the 35th minute and Lukas Klemenz striking the upright following a blocked attempt by Alan Czerwiński. Cracovia threatened through an Ajdin Hasić free kick that drifted wide in the 15th minute and a 38th-minute effort from Martin Minczew that found the side netting.
Second half scoring exchange
The match shifted immediately after the restart when Cracovia scored in the 46th minute. Hasić crossed from the corner of the penalty area, allowing Minczew to head the ball past Gabriel Kobylak from close range. Katowice equalised in the 54th minute after referee Szymon Marciniak awarded a penalty following a video assistant referee review for a handball in the box, which Nowak converted from the spot. The home side took the lead in the 62nd minute when a cross from the right flank by Marcin Wasielewski led to a loose ball that Wdowiak pushed into the net from four metres. Wdowiak, an academy graduate of Cracovia, chose not to celebrate against his former club. Cracovia manager Bartosz Grzelak responded with substitutions, introducing Sayfallah Ltaief and Lasse Nordas. In the 72nd minute, Ltaief beat his defender on the left wing and delivered a cross that Nordas headed in to make the score 2:2.
- Martin Minczew scores with a header for Cracovia (0:1)
- Bartosz Nowak converts a penalty for GKS Katowice (1:1)
- Mateusz Wdowiak scores from close range for GKS Katowice (2:1)
- Lasse Nordas equalises with a header for Cracovia (2:2)
- Ilja Szkurin scores the winning goal for GKS Katowice (3:2)
Stoppage time decider by Szkurin
Both teams pushed for a winner during the closing minutes of regulation time. In the 90th minute, Nordas came close to securing a third goal for Cracovia, but his close-range effort bounced off the crossbar. GKS Katowice countered immediately off the rebound. Bartosz Wolski delivered a cross into the penalty area, where Borja Galan directed the ball toward Ilja Szkurin. The striker held off opposing defenders and finished past Madejski just before additional time began to seal a 3:2 victory for the hosts.
Contrasting streaks in the table
The result ended a two-match losing run in the league for Rafał Górak's team, who had lost their previous fixture in Lubin against Zagłębie. The win marked Katowice's third consecutive home victory in the league. For Cracovia, the defeat marked their fifth consecutive loss across all competitions, following three previous league defeats and a penalty-shootout elimination against Znicz Pruszków in the Polish Cup first round. Cracovia also extended an away winless streak in the league dating back to February 2026, when they defeated Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza, going 11 consecutive away fixtures without a win.
