Wisła Kraków defeat Wieczysta 2-0 in derby with goals from Sanchez and Guillemenot
Wisła Kraków secured second place in the Ekstraklasa after second-half goals from Jordi Sanchez and Jeremy Guillemenot sealed a 2-0 win over Wieczysta Kraków before 33,000 fans.
Second-half breakthrough at Reymonta
Wisła Kraków secured a 2-0 victory against local rivals Wieczysta Kraków in round six of the Ekstraklasa on Saturday. After a goalless first half before 33,000 spectators at Synerise Arena, the hosts broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. Midfielder James Igbekeme started the move by finding Julius Ertlthaler on the right flank, and Ertlthaler delivered a cross that Jordi Sanchez headed past goalkeeper Nikola Cavlina. The strike was the sixth league goal of the season for the Spanish forward. Wieczysta pushed forward for an equaliser, but Wisła goalkeeper Marcel Łubik denied attempts from Tobias Christensen to maintain his first clean sheet of the league campaign. In the 80th minute, Wisła punished a turnover by defender Antonio Milić through a rapid counter-attack, with Rafał Mikulec setting up substitute Jeremy Guillemenot, who struck a long-range effort directly into the top corner of Cavlina's net.
- Łubik deflects a shot from Koulouris onto the crossbar
- Cavlina blocks Youan's close-range effort
- Sanchez heads in an Ertlthaler cross to give Wisła the lead
- Cavlina saves a one-on-one attempt from Rodado
- Guillemenot scores from distance into the top corner
First-half opportunities and tactical setup
Wieczysta created the clearest chance in the opening period under new head coach Żeljko Kopić, who made five changes to his starting lineup following a previous defeat to Cracovia. In the 12th minute, a misplaced pass from Wisła midfielder Kacper Duda allowed Lisandro Semedo to break down the right wing and set up debutant striker Efthymis Koulouris, whose shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Łubik. Wisła manager Mariusz Jop retained the same starting eleven that played against Pogoń Szczecin, and his side gained rhythm after the half-hour mark. Cavlina denied a low shot from Sanchez in the 31st minute and blocked a close-range attempt from Elie Youan two minutes later. Wisła forward Angel Rodado missed another clear opportunity to extend the lead in the 78th minute following an errant pass from Cavlina.
Standings and home form
The derby victory moved Wisła to 10 points from six matches, placing them second in the Ekstraklasa table behind leaders Legia Warszawa. The result continued a distinct split in form for Jop's side, who have collected maximum points at home while struggling on the road.
- Home (3 matches)
- 9 points
- Away (3 matches)
- 1 points
Wieczysta remained in 17th position with three points from five matches, sitting above only Raków Częstochowa in the relegation zone.
New stadium regulations and security
The fixture was the first match played under strict new stadium security rules introduced by Wisła owner Jarosław Królewski. The club updated its stadium regulations to ban all banners, clothing, and symbols linked to the pseudofan group Młoda Ferajna, as well as PDW slogans, promising stadium bans for violations. The decision followed the death of Hutnik Kraków fan leader Jakub C., who died in an ambulance after being beaten on the night between 20 and 21 August. Saturday's match passed without security incidents in the stands. Journalist Jakub Białek of Weszło commented on the atmosphere after the final whistle.
Wisła Kraków's community passed a difficult test today. We did not see any PDW flag, any greeting for murderers, or any criminal symbolism in the stadium. May this trend continue. And may other clubs follow it. Our football is too beautiful for the dictatorship of bandits.
