Legia Warszawa Held to 1-1 Draw by Widzew Łódź After Augustyniak Goals at Both Ends
Legia Warszawa missed the opportunity to take first place in the Ekstraklasa after a 1-1 home draw against rivals Widzew Łódź on Sunday, with Rafał Augustyniak scoring both the opening goal and an own goal.
Two quick goals at Łazienkowska
Legia Warszawa missed the chance to reclaim the top spot in the Ekstraklasa standings on Sunday after drawing 1-1 with Widzew Łódź at Stadion Wojska Polskiego. The hosts entered the match after Górnik Zabrze took first place on Saturday and Lech Poznań lost their weekend fixture. Marek Papszun gave a starting spot in defence to Robert Deziel Jr, who returned after missing the league win against Motor Lublin, while Jan Kuchta started in attack. For Widzew, newly appointed coach Mateusz Stolarski restored Emil Kornvig to the starting lineup. The opening 15 minutes saw Legia control possession without generating clear chances against a defensive Widzew formation.
The match shifted in the 19th minute when Legia earned a free kick following a foul on Mateusz Szczepaniak. Rafał Augustyniak struck a low effort from over 20 meters toward the middle of the net, where Widzew goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski failed to control the bouncing ball, allowing it to slip across the line. Widzew responded within two minutes. In the 21st minute, Mariusz Fornalczyk delivered a cross from the right wing toward Karol Świderski. Augustyniak attempted an interception but deflected the ball past his own goalkeeper, Otto Hindrich, levelling the score.
- Rafał Augustyniak scores from a long-range free kick for Legia
- Augustyniak turns Mariusz Fornalczyk's cross into his own net
- Fran Álvarez strikes the post for Widzew Łódź
- Augustyniak hits the crossbar with a header from a Rúben Vinagre cross
- Wojciech Urbański blocks a goalbound effort from Fornalczyk
- Jan Kuchta misses from close range following Kamil Piątkowski's cross
First-half woodwork and second-half pressure
Both sides created opportunities to take the lead before half-time. In the 29th minute, Steve Kapuadi fed Fornalczyk on the wing, whose pass found Fran Álvarez inside the penalty box, but the midfielder struck the post. Legia replied when Rúben Vinagre delivered a cross for Augustyniak, whose header rebounded off the crossbar. Świderski had a late first-half chance following another Álvarez delivery but failed to make contact with the ball.
Legia increased pressure after the break. Michal Ševčík forced an early save from Drągowski, and Przemysław Wiśniewski blocked Vinagre's follow-up effort on the goal line. In the 50th minute, Fornalczyk found room in the penalty box, but Wojciech Urbański made a sliding block to stop his shot. Moments later, Kuchta sent a close-range shot off target from five meters out after receiving a cross from Kamil Piątkowski. Widzew also threatened late in the match when Paweł Wszołek misjudged a defensive clearance, forcing Hindrich into an instinctive save to avoid a second own goal.
Stolarski debut and league standings
The fixture marked the coaching debut of Mateusz Stolarski, who replaced Aleksandar Vuković after the Serbian coach was dismissed on Thursday. Stolarski had conducted only one training session with the squad before travelling to Warsaw. During the match, visiting Widzew supporters in the away section unfurled a banner reading "Vuko, dziękujemy" to acknowledge Vuković for securing top-flight safety in the previous season.
The 1-1 result ended Widzew's five-match winless run and preserved their unbeaten away record this season. In the previous campaign, Widzew had lost 1-0 in Warsaw after conceding in the 97th minute. Following the draw, Legia remains the only undefeated team in the Ekstraklasa after eight rounds, but sits behind table leaders Górnik Zabrze.
