Piast Gliwice vs Lechia Gdansk Match Recap - Oct 19, 2025

Last-Gasp Bobček Winner Lifts Lechia Gdansk Past Piast Gliwice in Battle of Ekstraklasa Strugglers

A cold, persistent drizzle at Stadion Miejski w Gliwicach could not dampen the late drama on Sunday as Lechia Gdansk escaped with a 2-1 victory over Piast Gliwice, snatching all three points with Tomáš Bobček’s 90th-minute winner. For two clubs nervously circling the relegation zone, it was a match defined by narrow margins and the kind of restless tension that comes when every point feels precious as autumn deepens in the Ekstraklasa calendar.

In recent years, meeting between these two sides has rarely carried such urgent consequences. Piast’s title-winning side from just six seasons ago now finds itself rooted to the bottom of the table, their single victory from ten matches evidence of a campaign gone awry. Lechia, back in the top flight after recent turbulence, arrived in Silesia with only a thin cushion between themselves and the drop zone; the stakes were laid bare in every loose ball and forceful challenge.

The match began with both teams showing the wary caution of squads low on confidence and short on form. Piast’s German Barkovskiy, one of the few bright spots in their recent run, started on the front foot, forcing early saves and drawing the crowd’s energy. Yet it was Lechia’s Ivan Zhelizko who carved open the contest in the 41st minute. After a grinding midfield battle, Lechia worked the ball wide; a searching cross broke kindly at the top of the box, and Zhelizko drove his shot between defenders and inside the post. It was the Ukrainian’s second goal in four matches, a bright spot for a side craving attacking production.

Down at half, Piast’s response was immediate. They pressed aggressively after the break, pinning Lechia back, and were rewarded five minutes after the restart when Barkovskiy pounced. The forward, already on the scoresheet last time out at Pogoń Szczecin, found himself unmarked as a recycled corner fell invitingly in the area. With a clinical touch, he rifled Piast level, the stadium roaring its relief at a goal both desperately needed and nervously anticipated.

But for all of Piast’s renewed vigor, Lechia remained composed, absorbing pressure and probing for space on the counter. The hosts grew anxious, their passing increasingly hurried as the minutes ticked on. Neither side appeared destined for a winner as the rain intensified and substitutions broke up the rhythm. Piast, eager for a second consecutive home win in the league, began to fade, legs heavy and tempers fraying as possession slipped away.

The fatal lapse came in the final moments. With the clock striking 90, Lechia poured forward on a rare late surge. A flicked pass broke Piast’s defensive line, and Bobček—hardly a prolific scorer—was perfectly placed. His snap shot from just inside the area took a deflection, wrong-footing the keeper and nestling in the far corner. The Lechia bench erupted, staff sprinting the touchline as Piast’s players sank to the turf, disbelief etched across their faces.

Bobček’s winner was a moment of ruthlessness in a season where Lechia have so often lacked edge late in games. The Gdansk club had only claimed a single point from their previous two league outings—a 1-1 home draw with Wisla Plock and a sobering 0-3 defeat at Korona Kielce. But with four wins in their last seven matches across all competitions, there is now a pulse of momentum, however faint, to sustain them through autumn’s grind.

For Piast, the result is another bitter pill. Their last five matches in league play have yielded only one victory—the 4-2 home win against Nieciecza now feels an aberration rather than a turning point. Draws and narrow losses have stacked up ominously, and with only seven points from ten matches, Piast find themselves anchored to 18th, staring up at their rivals. Their attack has flickered but never fully ignited; Barkovskiy’s third goal in as many matches could not paper over the defensive fragility exposed once again at the worst possible moment.

Lechia climb, if only tentatively, to 16th. Their record—four wins, three draws, five losses—offers hope of a mid-table scramble, but the specter of a relegation fight is ever-present. Today’s match was not a classic of the Polish top flight, but it was an honest reflection of two teams battling the weight of circumstance and history. There was no shortage of effort, but in the end, the smallest details—one deflection, one late run—separated agony from elation.

As the international break looms, both clubs face pivotal fixtures ahead. For Piast, rescue must come soon, or a season once filled with promise will dissolve into a desperate scramble for survival. Lechia, meanwhile, will savor this late triumph—a victory that may yet prove the catalyst for revival, or at least a buffer against the storms still to come.