In the first leg of the second Europa League qualifying round, Wisla Krakow are set to host Rapid Vienna at Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana on Thursday.
The home side finished 10th in Poland's second division in 2023-24 but reached the Europa League's qualifying rounds thanks to their Polish Cup win, while the Austrian visitors finished sixth in the regular season and fourth in their championship playoff group.
Match preview
The hosts will be delighted to have a chance of reaching the Europa League group stage considering they currently reside in the second tier of Polish football.
To add to this, it is not as if Wisla Krakow performed particularly well last campaign given they finished 10th with 50 points in an 18-team league.
In 34 games, the White Star scored 62 goals and conceded 50 times in the league, and this made them the division's second-best offensive and joint 12th best defensive team.
Despite their miraculous Polish Cup victory, their poor league form in 2023-24 saw Wisla Krakow part company with two permanent managers and one interim coach, including Albert Rude.
Current boss Kazimierz Moskal has been in the post since June, and he oversaw his first competitive games in charge against KF Llapi in the first qualifying round earlier in July, when his side won 4-1 on aggregate across two legs.
However, given that Wisla Krakow will have to win three more two-legged ties to reach the Europa League group stage, it would be understandable if Moskal does not see European football as a priority over preparation for a challenging 2024-25 league campaign.
Opponents Rapid Vienna did not participate in the first Europa League qualifying round, and Thursday's game will be their first competitive match in all competitions since May 19.
The visitors accumulated 33 points from 22 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga's regular season in 2023-24, and their sixth-placed finish meant they qualified for the division's championship playoff group.
In this group, the Green-Whites won three, drew three and lost four times in their 10 playoff games, and finished 16 points behind eventual winners Sturm Graz.
Rapid Vienna scored 38 times and conceded 21 goals in the regular season, and this made them the division's second-best offensive and fourth-best defensive team.
After the conclusion of the championship playoff group, they ended the overall season with the fourth-best offensive and fifth-best defensive records having scored a total of 47 goals and conceded 35.
Manager Robert Klauss has been in charge since November 2023, and has averaged 1.6 points per game, the second-highest figure he has achieved at any of the four clubs he has coached in his managerial career so far.
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Team News
The hosts have a number of injury concerns, including goalkeeper Jakub Stepak and centre-back Igor Lasicki.
In midfield, Wisla Krakow's Enis Fazlagic and Kacper Duda are both out due to abdominal and muscular problems respectively.
Meanwhile, winger Bartosz Talar is certain to miss the game due to a cruciate ligament injury.
As for the visitors, they come into the game without Bernhard Zimmermann, Ismail Seydi and Thierry Gale as a result of serious knee injuries, while centre-back Jakob Scholler is out because of a bone edema.
Elsewhere, Bendeguz Bolla, Matthias Seidl and Niklas Hedl all returned and played a part in Rapid Vienna's 1-1 pre-season draw against AC Milan last time out on July 20 and could be set to start on Thursday.
Wisla Krakow possible starting lineup:
Chichkan; Jaroch, Uryga, Colley, Mikulec; Sapala, Carbo; Baena, Sukiennicki, Mlynski; Rodado
Rapid Vienna possible starting lineup:
Hedl; Bolla, Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao, Auer; Schaub, Sangare, Grgic, Seidl; Jansson, Beljo
We say: Wisla Krakow 1-2 Rapid Vienna
Although Wisla Krakow's appearance in the Europa League qualifying rounds should be seen as an achievement itself, it is difficult to see them securing a positive result in the first leg.
The hosts' status as a second division side cannot be overlooked, and this should make visitors Rapid Vienna favourites heading into Thursday's clash.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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