Rakow take on the visitors Cracovia in the round 2 match of Polish Ekstraklasa. The match will be played on Monday, July 29th at Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków (Częstochowa).
Raków wants to prove last season was an exception, not the rule. "The Medals" have only made their mark at the start of this decade, despite being established a century ago. It's worth noting that in 2021 and 2022, the "Red-Blues," who had never won any major trophies before, won the Polish Cup and Super Cup twice each. Most importantly, they secured second place initially and then clinched their debut league title in the spring of 2023. Last season, they made it to the group stage of the Europa League but finished fourth and dropped to seventh place in the league. Now, there's a strong desire to reclaim their former glory. At least they got off to a good start: a solid 2-0 victory against local club Motor in Lublin.
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Cracovia left all their successes, including several titles, back in the first half of the last century. After their fourth league title in 1948, they haven't returned to the pinnacle of Polish football. However, they did qualify for the Europa League a few times in the last decade, albeit without notable success. In the 2023/2024 season, they had to seriously worry about maintaining their place in the Ekstraklasa, finishing in 13th position and narrowly avoiding relegation by a few points. This was considered an achievement for coach David Kroczek, who took over in April. In the new season, his team started modestly, almost losing at home to Piast. However, in the 88th minute, an equalizer from new signing Mick van Buren, an experienced midfielder from Slavia Prague, salvaged a 1-1 draw.
Last season, "The Stripes" took four points from the reigning champions in their two Ekstraklasa encounters. They also held them to a draw in the Polish Cup before losing in a penalty shootout. Currently, the "Red-Blues" look more convincing than their opponents and are playing at home. We expect them to secure a victory in this match.
Prediction for the match: Rakow to win.
