Ten-Man Radomiak Shock Lechia with Tapsoba Hat-Trick
Defender's heroics seal stunning 3-1 victory despite early red card
What a performance from Radomiak Radom on Monday night at the Stadion im. Braci Czachorów. Despite going down to 10 men in the first half, the hosts produced one of the most memorable displays of the Ekstraklasa season, beating Lechia Gdansk 3-1 thanks to an incredible hat-trick from center-back Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba.
The match started quietly until Tapsoba opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a well-taken finish that set the tone for what was to come. Just four minutes later, Lechia's Bogdan Viunnyk picked up a yellow card as tensions began to rise. The game's crucial moment arrived in the 36th minute when Radomiak's Jérémy Blasco saw red, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb.
Most teams would have retreated into their shell, but not this Radomiak side. Instead, they doubled down on their attacking intent. Tapsoba struck again in the 45th minute, somehow finding space in the box to fire home his second of the evening and give his side a shock 2-0 lead at the break.
The second half started with more drama as Tapsoba completed his hat-trick just three minutes after the restart. The center-back's third goal was a thing of beauty and left the traveling Lechia fans stunned. Despite dominating possession (67% to 33%) and outshooting their hosts 27 to 13, Lechia couldn't find a way past Filip Majchrowicz, who made six crucial saves.
Lechia finally got on the scoresheet in the 66th minute when Tomáš Bobček converted from the penalty spot after Tomasz Neugebauer had won the spot-kick. But it was too little, too late for the visitors, who remain dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Tactically, this was a masterclass in counter-attacking football from Radomiak. With just 33% possession, they maximized their limited chances brilliantly, converting three of their five shots on target. Their expected goals of 1.05 tells the story of how clinical they were in front of goal.
Tapsoba's SAM rating of 8.4/10 for the season was fully justified by this display, while teammates Zié Mohamed Ouattara (9.1 SAM) and Jan Grzesik (8.8 SAM) provided excellent support throughout. For Lechia, Ivan Zhelizko's 8.8 SAM rating couldn't prevent another disappointing result.
This victory moves Radomiak up to 8th place with 43 points, extending their excellent recent form to four wins in five games. Meanwhile, Lechia remain stuck in 16th with just 38 points, their poor run of form continuing with four losses in their last five matches. With the relegation battle heating up, they'll need to find form quickly to avoid dropping down a division.