Shocking scenes at the Legia Warsaw match. How did it actually happen?
It's no secret that the Warsaw team is going through a difficult time. While the Legionnaires defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 in their last UEFA Conference League match, a coaching change and the generally challenging sporting climate heading into the 2025/26 season are making life difficult.
Examples? Just 10th place in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa table, and Legia had already been eliminated from the STS Polish Cup after a 1-2 home defeat to Pogoń Szczecin . This was also Romanian Edward Iordanescu's last match as manager.
UEFA Conference League: Legia Warszawa lost to NK CeljeInaki Astiz is currently the Warsaw team's interim coach. The Spaniard, as Legia's head coach, scored a point in the 1-1 league clash with Widzew Łódź. Thursday evening, however, marked Astiz's European debut. It seemed Legia would have fond memories of their trip to Slovenia.
It started with a strong opening goal by Kacper Urbański. A great talent in Polish football, a participant in Euro 2024, among other tournaments, he's trying to get back on track after a disappointing end to his adventure on the Italian Peninsula.
The Warsaw team's biggest sin, however, was failing to close out the match, confirming their sizable lead with a goal to make it 2-0. Legia had several chances, but their lack of an effective striker proved to be a stumbling block. Warsaw simply lacks one – at least not with Jean Pierre-Nsame injured.
And as is often the case in football, missed opportunities can indeed backfire. The Slovenians struck twice in the space of just five minutes, from which Legia never recovered. The Warsaw side had their chances, but the results were the same, as seen even before the 1-1 and 1-2 scores from the visitors' perspective.
Interestingly, NK Celje added another three points, having secured a perfect record in the league stage. This is impressive, though certainly not decisive in the context of the subsequent fight for a good position in the knockout stages. Legia, however, must start picking up points consistently as soon as possible. Defeats against NK Celje and the opening round defeat to Turkish side Samsunspor (0-1) certainly weigh heavily on the team, and the Conference League table reflects this.
It's worth remembering that last season, the Warsaw team reached the quarterfinals of this competition. Legia was only defeated in the two-legged tie against the eventual UEFA Conference League champions, Chelsea. Interestingly, though, after a disappointing performance and defeat in Warsaw, the Warsaw team was able to take home the victory with honors from London.
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