Lech Poznań has learned their fixture schedule for the UEFA Europa League group stage. The club will begin their campaign with an away match against Greek giants Olympiakos Pireus on Wednesday, September 16, as reported by Przegląd Sportowy.
The team managed by Adrian Siemieniec, currently 8th in the Ekstraklasa with 7 points and a goal difference of +4 (5 scored, 1 conceded), enters European competition in solid form. Lech is unbeaten in their last five league matches (3 wins, 2 draws), most recently defeating Piast Gliwice 3-0. Before their European debut, however, they face an important league clash with Jagiellonia Białystok on September 3rd.
What does Lech's Europa League calendar look like?
Following the opener against Olympiakos, Lech Poznań will face English side Crystal Palace just one day later, on September 17. This marks a very intense start to the competition. Lech's full group stage schedule for this year includes six more matchdays. These are fixtures scheduled for October 15 (home vs Bayer Leverkusen), October 22 (home vs Sunderland), November 5 (away vs Benfica), November 26 (away vs Union SG), December 10 (home vs Ferencváros), and January 21 (home vs Torreense) and January 28 (away vs OFI Crete). All dates can be tracked on our fixtures page.
Who else from Poland is playing in the Europa League?
The other Polish representative in the competition is Jagiellonia Białystok, known as the Pride of Podlasie. Like Lech, Jagiellonia will also start with an away match. Their group opponents include Olympiakos, Ararat-Armenia, Anderlecht, Lewski Sofia, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Olympique Lyon, and Viktoria Plzeň. This demonstrates the high level of this season's Europa League edition.
How does the new competition format work?
UEFA has introduced changes to the Europa League format. All teams will play eight matches in the league phase. The top eight teams in the overall table will advance directly to the round of 16. Clubs placed 9th to 24th will have to play an additional play-off round to join the top eight. The remaining twelve clubs will be eliminated after this phase. You can always check Lech's position in the domestic table in our league standings.
For Lech Poznań, who trail league leaders Legia Warszawa by 5 points in the domestic race, European performances could provide an additional boost for the season. Their current good run of form, consisting of wins and draws, provides a foundation for the tough challenges in the Europa League. The club now faces a crucial period, combining the fight for points in the Ekstraklasa with prestigious clashes on the continental stage. The squad tasked with these challenges can be reviewed in our squad section.
