Lech Poznan coach Frederiksen responds to heavy Europa League defeats

Lech Poznan coach Niels Frederiksen has responded to criticism following two heavy defeats in the Europa League. His team lost both matches 4-0, failing to score a single goal.

After the latest loss to Bayer Leverkusen, Frederiksen admitted the opponent was superior. "It was a difficult match against a better team. We were nervous in possession and out of possession," the coach said. He noted the pace of the game in European competition is completely different. "The tempo of the game was much higher than what we are used to in the Ekstraklasa," he stated. Against Leverkusen, Lech failed to create a single clear chance, while their opponents recorded an expected goals value of over four.

Frederiksen does not believe Lech are unsuited to this level, however. He described the experience as an important lesson ahead of upcoming fixtures against Sunderland and Benfica. He emphasized that the goal remains to pick up points in the next group stage matches. The coach pointed out that the team's objective is to earn points in those games, having previously scored a 90th minute goal against Benfica in the group, which shows their ability to play until the final whistle.

Defender Wojciech Mońki was substituted as a precaution, but his injury is not thought to be serious. The coach hopes the player will be ready for the next league fixture.

Lech Poznan, who sit second in the Ekstraklasa with 22 points, host Korona Kielce on Saturday, 17 October. It's an important test before the next Europa League matchday. The team goes into this match in good form, having recorded four wins in their last five league games. The squad list and team statistics can be checked on our squad page, and the full schedule of matches is available in the fixtures section.

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