English media laid into Lech Poznań after their heavy defeat in London. The Polish champions lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace in their first Europa League group stage match in six years.
The Thursday evening fixture at Selhurst Park got away from Lech Poznań quickly. By the 34th minute, the hosts were already 3-0 up, with their third goal preceded by a catastrophic error from Terry Yegbe. The Lech defender gave the ball away directly to Crystal Palace forward Pino, who scored easily. One English outlet described the throw-in that led to the goal as "the worst you will ever see".
Lech Poznań were limited to half-chances for most of the match while Crystal Palace dominated the final third. The BBC wrote that after this performance the hosts have every reason to believe in progression, "though Lech helped them". Other match reports emphasised that the Polish champions looked confused and undisciplined, allowing Roy Hodgson's side to play with ease.
For manager Johann van den Brom's side, this is a second consecutive defeat, following a 2-1 loss to Gornik Zabrze in the Ekstraklasa last Saturday. Despite this, Lech Poznań remain second in the league table with 10 points from four games, two points behind leaders Legia Warszawa. In their last four league matches, Lech's form reads: a 3-1 win over Jagiellonia Białystok, a 1-1 draw with Raków Częstochowa, a 2-0 win over Piast Gliwice, and the aforementioned loss to Gornik. The next match is this Sunday, 20 September, when Kolejorz host Radomiak Radom, a team currently in 12th place. The squad list and full season stats can be checked on our squad page.
The return to European competition after years proved to be a bitter lesson. Lech Poznań must quickly recover from this defeat, as another tough Europa League fixture awaits on 15 October against Bayer Leverkusen. Rebuilding confidence in the league before that match will be key. Van den Brom admitted to media that the level shown in London was insufficient and the team must return to basics to regain stability in their play, especially in defence.
Read the full report at Interia Sport
