Sandecja Nowy Sącz vs Hutnik Kraków

Sandecja controlled the opening exchanges under head coach Rafał Smalec but could not turn possession into goals and fell behind from the spot. A handball in the box gave referee no choice, and Kacper Prusiński stepped up to convert the 15th-minute penalty for Hutnik.

The home side responded inside six minutes. Adam Brenkus levelled in the 21st minute, and a trialist — named as Kawała by local media — put Sandecja ahead in the 23rd minute to complete a swift turnaround. Sandecja carried a 2-1 lead into the break.

Smalec rang the changes after half-time, introducing academy products and further trialists across the second period. The reshuffle disrupted Sandecja's rhythm, and Hutnik capitalised when Marcin Budziński rose to head home a 50th-minute equaliser.

Neither side could find a winner in the remaining 40 minutes, despite both making multiple substitutions. The match concluded 2-2.

Smalec's half-time reshuffle — he introduced eleven different players including five trialists — broke the continuity Sandecja had built in the first half. Hutnik scored within five minutes of the restart through Budziński's header, profiting from the defensive uncertainty that wholesale changes created.

• Adam Brenkus (Sandecja Nowy Sącz): Scored the equaliser in the 21st minute, turning the match momentum after Sandecja had fallen behind.
• Kacper Prusiński (Hutnik Kraków): Opened the scoring with a composed penalty and led the line effectively before being replaced by Kacper Rzepka.
• Marcin Budziński (Hutnik Kraków): Came off the bench at half-time and scored the crucial equaliser with a header within five minutes of the restart. Named Player of the Match.

The provider data records a 2-2 full-time scoreline and a 2-1 half-time advantage for the home side, reflecting a match of two distinct phases. Sandecja's first-half starting XI dominated the middle third but lacked a cutting edge until Brenkus and the trialist struck. The second half, played by largely different personnel on both sides, saw Hutnik regain control and earn a deserved equaliser. Both teams used the fixture primarily for fitness and trialist evaluation rather than competitive sharpness — the combined 15+ substitutions underline the experimental nature of the contest.

For Sandecja Nowy Sącz, this was the first pre-season friendly of the 2026/27 campaign under Rafał Smalec. The club — competing in Betclic II Liga (Polish third tier) — has several more friendlies scheduled before the league season begins. Hutnik Kraków, also a II Liga side, played their second pre-season match after a 1-6 loss to Ukraine U-19 earlier in the week. Both teams will use the remaining pre-season weeks to finalise their squads, with several trialists on display across the 90 minutes.

A typical early pre-season friendly: high on fitness work and trialist evaluations, low on defensive organisation. Sandecja will be encouraged by the first-half performance from their established core, while Hutnik's second-half showing — particularly Budziński's impact off the bench — offered a positive response after the heavy defeat to Ukraine U-19. The 2-2 draw was a fair outcome between two evenly-matched II Liga rivals.