Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków w Częstochowie , Czestochowa
TV: Fanatiz USA, fuboTV, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Ekstraklasa TV, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
I. Lopez 45+7' (P)
P. Stojanovic 41'
S. Svarnas 69'
D. Szymanski 42'
P. Stojanovic 64'
S. Kapuadi 68'
Full time

VAR Steals the Spotlight as Raków and Legia Settle for Stalemate: Technology, Not Talent, Defines Poland’s Modern Derby

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On a brisk September evening at the Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków w Częstochowie, two of Poland’s football heavyweights, Raków Częstochowa and Legia Warszawa, played to a tense 1-1 draw—a result that may ultimately be remembered less for moments of individual brilliance and more for the match’s defining intervention: the Video Assistant Referee.

The flow of the game was emblematic of the stakes: Raków, languishing in 15th, were desperate to reignite their season, while Legia, holding 7th, sought to reinforce their claim to a European spot. The tension was palpable from the opening whistle, with both sides probing, but neither able to truly break the deadlock until a rapid-fire sequence late in the first half upended the narrative.

Legia struck first in the 41st minute, as Petar Stojanović finished a sweeping counterattack, his low drive beating Raków keeper Kacper Trelowski and giving the visitors an edge they appeared primed to carry into halftime. Yet, in the dying embers of first-half stoppage time, controversy erupted. Zoran Arsenić’s foray into the box drew a foul after a clumsy challenge from Damian Szymański. Referee Jarosław Przybył, after a lengthy VAR consultation, awarded the penalty—a decision that sent Legia’s bench into a furor. Ivi López showed nerves of steel, converting at 45’ +7 to send the home crowd into raptures and level the score.

The second half saw momentum swing, with Raków emboldened by their lifeline and Legia scrambling to regain composure. Tactical adjustments from both managers—Legia’s Edward Iordănescu and Raków’s Dawid Szwarga—added layers of intrigue, but neither side could fashion a winner. Raków’s Jonatan Braut Brunes and Legia’s Mileta Rajovic both spurned half-chances, while the midfield battle between Fran Tudor and Bartosz Kapustka epitomized the match’s gritty undertone.

Yet, for all the athletic endeavor on display, the game’s pivot point rested with technology. The VAR review and subsequent penalty decision did not simply alter the scoreline—it shifted the psychological landscape and underscored a growing reality in Polish football: the biggest matches are now as much about protocol as passion. As seen in multiple YouTube recap videos dissecting the incident and the game’s momentum swings, fan and analyst reactions are increasingly focused on refereeing process over player performance—a trend that may reshape supporter engagement and the league’s narrative moving forward.

With the result, Raków remain precariously close to the relegation zone, while Legia’s aspirations for the top three take a minor dent. The derby’s legacy, however, will linger in the debate about technology’s role at the heart of Polish football—where, for better or worse, the screen increasingly overshadows the pitch.

Team Lineups

Legia Warszawa
4-1-4-1
COACH
Edward Marius Iordănescu
1
Kacper Tobiasz
19
Rúben Vinagre
3
Steve Kapuadi
91
Kamil Piątkowski
7
Paweł Wszołek
44
Damian Szymański
77
Ermal Krasniqi
22
Juergen Elitim
67
Bartosz Kapustka
30
Petar Stojanović
29
Mileta Rajović
Raków Częstochowa
3-4-3
COACH
Marek Papszun
1
Kacper Trelowski
4
Stratos Svarnas
24
Zoran Arsenić
25
Bogdan Racovițan
20
Jean Carlos
5
Marko Bulat
88
Péter Baráth
7
Fran Tudor
10
Ivi López
99
Imad Rondić
18
Jonatan Braut Brunes

Legia Warszawa Substitutes

4 Marco Burch
D
8 Rafał Augustyniak
D
12 Radovan Pankov
D
13 Arkadiusz Reca
D
14 Antonio Čolak
F
20 Jakub Żewłakow
F
21 Vahan Bichakhchyan
M
27 Gabriel Kobylak
G
53 Wojciech Urbański
M
55 Artur Jędrzejczyk
D
82 Kacper Urbański
M
99 Noah Weißhaupt
F

Raków Częstochowa Substitutes

6 Oskar Repka
M
8 Tomasz Pieńko
M
9 Patryk Makuch
F
11 Adriano
M
19 Michael Ameyaw
M
23 Karol Struski
M
48 Oliwier Zych
G
66 Apostolos Konstantopoulos
D
80 Lamine Diaby-Fadiga
M

Match Statistics

76
Accurate Passes
138
4
Fouls
5