Match Preview: Puszcza Niepołomice vs. Lech Poznań

Fans of Puszcza Niepołomice, who travel far and wide to support their favorites in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa matches, may be feeling increasingly anxious about their team's prospects in remaining at this level of competition. With only seven rounds left in the season, the current position of the Bison is cause for concern. "We'll want to make life difficult for our next opponents, fighting until the end," said newcomer coach Tomasz Tułacz.

However, this weekend might prove challenging for improving their situation as they face none other than Lech Poznań in Krakow. A glimmer of hope before the clash with the team from Greater Poland is surely the fact that Puszcza has not lost at home in six matches (2W, 4D). Moreover, in 12 out of 13 games played at Kałuża, Niepołomice's team managed to score at least one goal.

The previous round turned out to be exceptionally favorable for Lech Poznań. Mariusz Rumak's players defeated Pogoń Szczecin 1-0, while league leaders Jagiellonia dropped points in Warsaw, drawing 1-1 with Legia. Such circumstances mean that Kolejorz now trails the leader by only four points and can still realistically dream of the 9th title in the club's history.

The key to success for the Poznań team in several previous matches has undoubtedly been their excellent defensive play. Six clean sheets in the last eight matches are a result that rivals can envy. Furthermore, looking at the entire season, Lech has kept a clean sheet in 11 matches, which is the best result in the Ekstraklasa. If Lech manages to improve this statistic even further in Krakow, they should feel rather confident about taking all three points.