Thun vs. Lech Poznań – News and Probable Lineups

Polish champions Lech Poznan are almost secured a spot in the final as they prepare to take on Swiss champions Thun at Visana Stadion for the second leg of their Europa League qualification playoff.

The home side will be playing for honor this week, while Kolejorz aims to extend their winning streak to six matches.

Match overview

Thun under Gian-Luca Privitelli find themselves nearly out of the Europa League after a heavy defeat in the first leg of this matchup, and they come into this fixture having struggled in their recent performances.

The Swiss champions were on the receiving end of a 7-0 rout last Thursday, a disheartening loss that marked their fifth defeat in seven outings.

While the prospect of overcoming such a significant deficit appears extremely challenging this week, Privitelli’s squad can take solace in their already secured place in the Conference League’s league phase, which serves as a commendable consolation for reaching the playoff stage.

A win for Thun in this second leg may not change the outcome of the tie, but it could provide a much-needed morale boost amidst a challenging period for the club in both domestic and European competitions.

However, they have managed just one victory from their past five home matches, with a 3-0 win over Vikingur Reykjavik on August 6 after notoriously losing twice and drawing twice in the previous four encounters.

In contrast, Lech Poznan, led by Niels Frederiksen, has comfortably advanced to the Europa League proper without needing to play this week, and although they may opt to rotate some players, another victory would not be unexpected.

Kolejorz was eliminated from the Champions League qualifying stage after losing on penalties to Aarhus on July 29, but they responded by claiming victories in each of their three qualifying games in UEFA’s secondary tournament, which included a comprehensive 6-0 aggregate win over Klaksvik in the third round.

Following their impressive 7-0 first-leg victory against Thun, Frederiksen’s side heads into the Thursday match aiming for a fifth straight win, and fans will anticipate another successful outing from their team.

Moreover, the Polish outfit has maintained four consecutive clean sheets leading up to this fixture, although their defensive focus will undoubtedly be challenged in a match that has minimal implications for the team’s overall season.

Looking to keep their strong momentum, Lech will draw confidence from their previous away performance in the earlier qualifying round where they convincingly defeated Klaksvik 5-0 on August 14.

Team News

Thun will be without defensive midfielder Mattias Kait this week due to a muscle injury, but both Justin Roth and Nassim Zoukit are expected to be ready and will likely feature as Privitelli’s central pairing.

Additionally, center-back Genis Montolio is in rehabilitation after suffering a cruciate ligament injury, meaning that Jan Bamert and Marco Burki are expected to form the core of Thun’s defence.

For Lech, they come into this match somewhat light in attack, missing wingers Leo Bengtsson and Ali Gholizadeh due to respective injuries to the foot and cruciate ligaments, while striker Kamil Jakobczyk remains doubtful with an ankle issue.

Since Jakobczyk is not likely to be risked, 18-year-old Wojciech Szymczak could take the place of Allahyar Sayyadmanesh in the forward position, supported from the flanks by Daniel Hakans and Luis Palma.

The visitors also face uncertainties regarding the fitness of defensive midfielder Filip Jagiello, and if his muscle injury keeps him sidelined once more, Radoslaw Murawski and Antoni Kozubal are likely to fill the central roles.

Thun probable starting XI:

Steffen; Fehr, Bamert, Burki, Heule; Reichmuth, Roth, Zoukit, Matoshi; Gutbub, Labeau

Lech Poznan probable starting XI:

fox; Pereira, Skrzypczak, Monka, Gurgul; Murawski, Kozubal; Hakans, Rodriguez, Palma; Szymczak

Thun finds themselves nearly eliminated from the Europa League qualifying after their 7-0 defeat in the first leg, yet they will aim for a consolation victory this week.

Lech has been exceptionally dominant in both defense and attack recently, but given the low-stakes nature of this clash, their winning streak may potentially be halted.