Wisła Płock spoil Raków's opener again as 17-year-old keeper's error proves costly in 2-1 win

Raków Częstochowa entered the new Ekstraklasa campaign hoping to improve on last season's fourth-place finish, but their opening match under new head coach Dawid Kroczek followed a familiar script. Wisła Płock, who beat Raków twice by 2-1 scorelines in the previous season, repeated the trick on Sunday afternoon at the Stadion Miejski w Częstochowie.

A gift for the visitors

Wisła waited patiently for their chances and took the lead in the 37th minute. A long throw-in was headed out by Oskar Repka, but the ball fell to Marcin Flis on the edge of the box. The defender struck a perfect volley past Żołneczko for his first goal in Wisła colours.

“Potrafię się odnaleźć w takich sytuacjach i cieszę się, że to się udało w trakcie meczu.”

Raków looked sluggish throughout the first half, struggling to create anything of note. By the hour mark the hosts had managed only two efforts on target, a Patryk Makuch header and a shot from 16 metres by Erick Otieno, both comfortably saved by goalkeeper Rafał Leszczyński.

A debut to forget

The second goal arrived four minutes after the restart and rested squarely on the shoulders of Raków's teenage goalkeeper. Flis sent in a hopeful cross that appeared routine, but Żołneczko fumbled the catch with no attacker challenging him. The ball spilled from his hands and Žan Rogelj pounced from close range to double the lead.

Żołneczko partially redeemed himself later by denying Marcus Haglind-Sangre from point-blank range, but the damage was done. Raków had started the 17-year-old ahead of Kacper Trelowski, a bold call by Kroczek that backfired in the league curtain-raiser.

VAR takes centre stage

Raków pulled a goal back in the 68th minute after a lengthy VAR review. Substitute Jurica Pršir slid in on Jean Carlos Silva inside the area. Referee Paweł Malec initially waved play on, but changed his decision after consulting the monitor. Makuch stepped up and converted the penalty.

VAR intervened again with ten minutes remaining. Malec showed Fran Tudor a second yellow card and then a red, but after reviewing the footage he rescinded the dismissal, keeping Raków's captain on the pitch.

A frantic finish

The hosts pressed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages, pinning Wisła deep in their own half. Tomasz Pieńko and Adam Basse both went close, and Makuch struck the post from a tight angle in stoppage time. But Wisła held firm, continuing their hold over a side they have now beaten in three consecutive league meetings.