This is one of those pre-match verdicts that lands with some force because it comes from someone who knows the scene from the inside. Jacek Krzynówek is not speaking as a casual observer. He is a former Bayer Leverkusen player, a 96-krotny reprezentant Polski, and someone who knows exactly what the German club looks like when it is functioning properly.
And his conclusion before Lech Poznań vs Leverkusen is not exactly a surprise: Mimo wszystko przewaga będzie po stronie Leverkusen. That is the blunt reading, and it is hard to argue with it when you listen to the reasons he gives. Krzynówek points to quality, interchangeability of roles and speed of decision-making. In his view, that is where the German side still stands above Lech.
Why Krzynówek sees Bayer as the stronger side
Krzynówek’s comments are not just a polite nod to his old club. They are a proper football judgment. He says that in Bayer you can clearly see football quality, functional flexibility and quicker decisions. That matters because European football at this level is often decided by those tiny margins: a faster pass, a cleaner press, a sharper response when the game changes shape.
He also made it clear how highly he regards the club he once represented. Bayer Leverkusen, he said in effect, was the most media-heavy club of his career, and the players there were and are top-class. That is a strong statement, but it fits the wider picture. This is still a club that won its first title in 2024, and even if the post-Xabiego Alonso period has brought change, it has not wiped out the level of talent or expectation.
Krzynówek was also careful not to turn this into nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. He spoke warmly about his German clubs, and especially about Leverkusen, where he reached his sportowy szczyt and his biggest individual success. But he also noted that he did not feel a huge difference in his own game there. That is revealing in its own way: at a club like this, the standard is not about hype. It is about whether you can keep pace with the demands.
Lech can still lean on the crowd - but the scale of the task is obvious
None of this means Lech Poznań are being written off completely. Far from it. Krzynówek acknowledged that Lech look strong on the domestic stage, and he also said the home crowd can carry them. That matters, because a European night at home is never just a tactical exercise. Atmosphere can change momentum, and momentum can make supposedly stronger sides uncomfortable.
But the warning signs are there as well. Lech began their Europa League campaign with a 0:4 defeat to Crystal Palace in London, and that sort of result does not disappear just because the next opponent has a famous badge. It sharpens the question instead: how quickly can Lech recover, and can they do it against a team Krzynówek still sees as having the advantage?
He summed it up neatly when he said that two worlds may clash. That feels like the right frame for this match. Lech have earned respect at home, but Bayer are still the side with the deeper history of top-level quality, faster football and more proven Champions League and Europa League calibre. Krzynówek’s verdict is therefore not extravagant, only honest.
Of course, football does not always obey the neat script. Krzynówek was right to add that anything can happen. That is the beauty and irritation of the game in equal measure. But if you are asking who enters Thursday’s 18:45 meeting with the clearer edge, his answer is straightforward: Bayer Leverkusen.
