After the humiliating defeat to Lincoln Red Imps, Lech’s players wanted to deliver a surprise in Madrid in their clash with Rayo Vallecano. Niels Frederiksen’s squad came close to returning from the Spanish capital with a point, but in the final action of the match, they conceded a goal and ultimately lost 3:2.
Following the unexpected setback in Gibraltar, coach Niels Frederiksen’s team somewhat complicated their situation in the Europa Conference League, with demanding fixtures against Rayo Vallecano and Mainz still to come. It was in Madrid that the Polish Champions were hoping to pick up more points. The Spanish side was one point ahead of Lech in the table, having beaten Shkëndija 2:0 at home and drawn 2:2 away to Häcken.
The match at Vallecas began perfectly for Lech Poznań. The Polish side quickly took the lead thanks to an excellent cross from Joel Pereira and an equally fine header from Luis Palma that was too precise for the keeper to save. That goal was a motivational boost for the guests who stayed in control of the game for a long while. They confirmed their superiority before the break when Pablo Rodriguez laid the ball back to Antoni Kozubal on the edge of the box, and he doubled the lead with a low strike from outside the penalty area.
Shortly after the break, Lech had a perfect chance to deprive Rayo of any hope. However, Rodriguez failed to convert a one-on-one opportunity, and moments later, Isi Palazón beat Bartosz Mrozek to pull one back. As time went on, the home side began to dominate more and more, and they eventually equalised following a mistake from Lech. First, Taofeek Ismaheel lost the ball near the touchline, and then Antonio Milić failed to clear the danger, allowing Jorge de Frutos to fire a precise shot under the crossbar.
When it seemed that both sides would have to share the points, Rayo delivered a killer blow. Pathé Ciss sent a long pass to Álvaro García, who combined a superb first touch with a precise finish to secure the win.
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Thursday
27.11 godz.18:45
Lech Poznań
FC Lausanne Sport
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