Wisła Kraków thrashed Jagiellonia Białystok 2-0 in the Polish Ekstraklasa, with Angel Rodado scoring both goals to send Wisła above their opponents into fourth place in the table.
The match kicked off hours after Jagiellonia head coach Adrian Siemieniec addressed a controversy that had erupted following a report from the WP Sportowe Fakty website. The outlet reported on Thursday that Siemieniec had tried to influence the referee of his team's match at the end of the previous season.
Speaking before kickoff, Siemieniec said that beyond the legal side of the matter there was also a human, reflective one. He said he wanted to start by looking at himself, and acknowledged that sending the message in question had simply been unnecessary and had been a mistake. He said he had no bad intentions, but that the way he chose to communicate had been unnecessary. He added that the situation had taught him a great deal and promised it would not happen again.
Wisła dominate the first half
Wisła pushed Jagiellonia into their own half from the opening whistle and broke through in the 14th minute. Bozić delivered a precise cross into the penalty area, where Angel Rodado was waiting to put Wisła 1-0 up.
Jagiellonia failed to create a single clear chance in the first half. Wisła deserved their lead at the break, and their supporters could have felt aggrieved that the hosts had not managed to extend it further before half-time.
Wojtuszek admits controversy is a distraction
At half-time, Jagiellonia midfielder Norbert Wojtuszek acknowledged that the furore surrounding Siemieniec was affecting his team's performance. Quoted by the JagaUpdates account, Wojtuszek said the situation was on the players' minds, that they had access to the internet and could see what was being said, and that it was probably sitting somewhere at the back of their heads.
Wisła Kraków are one of Poland's most successful clubs and play their home matches in Kraków, while Jagiellonia Białystok represent the north-eastern city of Białystok. Both sides compete in the Ekstraklasa, Poland's top division.
Two disallowed goals and a controversial call
The second half began much like the first, with Wisła enjoying a heavy advantage and giving Jagiellonia's defence little chance to breathe. In the 53rd minute, Rodado struck again, but the linesman immediately raised his flag for offside. Replays showed it was the correct call, and the goal did not stand.
Controversy followed in the 70th minute. The referee cancelled a corner awarded to Jagiellonia, prompting Marcel Łubik to try to restart play quickly. After his clearance, a Wisła player found himself through on goal one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the referee halted the passage of play and ordered a goal kick instead. Players from both sides protested to the official afterwards.
In the 79th minute, Wisła found the net for a third time in the match, but the goal was again disallowed after Grujcić was judged to have accidentally touched the ball with his hand while bringing it under control.
Rodado doubles his tally
Fewer than ten minutes later, Wisła scored again, and this time the goal stood. Goalkeeper Abramowicz saved Bozić's initial shot, but the rebound fell straight to Angel Rodado, who had little trouble finishing his second goal of the match.
It proved to be the final goal of the game. Wisła Kraków won 2-0, a result the source described as fully deserved. The victory lifted Wisła to fourth place in the Ekstraklasa table, overtaking Jagiellonia Białystok, who dropped to fifth.
