Wisła Kraków returned to Ekstraklasa in style, beating GKS Katowice 2:1 in its first top-flight match after four years away. The comeback carried extra weight for the 13-time Polish champions, who had endured late failures, playoff setbacks and difficult seasons before finally getting back to the top division.
More than 30,000 spectators were in attendance in Kraków, and the atmosphere matched the occasion. Before kickoff, fans prepared a pre-match display with the words "Super Wisła," a simple message that reflected the sense of occasion around the club’s return.
How the match turned
GKS Katowice created the better chances in the first half and twice threatened Wisła Kraków’s goal, but Marcel Łubik made the saves to keep the score level. That mattered, because the game could easily have shifted before Wisła settled into it.
The second half brought the decisive moments. Marko Bożić scored from the penalty spot to give Wisła Kraków the lead, and a few minutes later Jordi Sanchez added a second goal. That sequence gave Mariusz Jop’s side a cushion in a match that had still felt open.
Wisła even thought it had made it 3:0 when Jordi Sanchez scored again, but the goal was disallowed by VAR. The decision left the scoreline tighter than it might have been and briefly kept GKS alive.
Ten minutes before the end, Szymon Bartlewicz pulled one back for GKS Katowice, setting up a nervous finish. Even so, Wisła Kraków held on for a 2:1 win at the final whistle.
What it means
For Wisła Kraków, this was more than just three points. It was a long-awaited first step back in Ekstraklasa, and it came in front of a large home crowd that had waited four years for this kind of match again.
The result will not erase the recent struggles, but it does give Mariusz Jop and his squad an early platform to build on. In a season where momentum matters, starting with a comeback win is a strong way to re-enter the top flight.
The wider Ekstraklasa picture is already moving too, with Pogoń Szczecin Vs Legia Warsaw opening the new PKO BP Ekstraklasa season in Szczecin, Motor Lublin opening its third Ekstraklasa season away at Widzew Łódź, and Korona Kielce aiming for the top six in its opener at Jagiellonia Białystok. But for now, the story belongs to Wisła Kraków and a return that began with a victory.
