Legia Warszawa vs Pogoń Grod. Mazowiecki

Legia dominated the opening half under manager Marek Papszun but found Pogoń goalkeeper Mikołaj Glacel in inspired form. The visitors' stopper made a string of saves, the most significant coming in the 42nd minute when he saved Łukasz Zjawiński's penalty after Wahan Biczachczjan had been fouled following a mazy run through the Pogoń defence. Jakub Żewłakow's follow-up was also kept out by Glacel.

The deadlock was finally broken in the final action of the first half. Samuel Kováčik delivered a pinpoint cross from the right flank and Zjawiński rose to head home at the far post, making amends for his earlier penalty miss.

Pogoń responded within seconds of the restart. Kacper Chodyna conceded a penalty inside his own box, and Damian Jaroń sent Ivan Brkić the wrong way from 12 yards to level the score at 1-1 — just 46 seconds into the second half.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead moments later when Aldrit Oshafi finished a move, only for the offside flag to cut short the celebrations.

Legia regained control through Żewłakow in the 58th minute. The forward collected the ball in midfield, drove past two defenders and slotted calmly past Glacel to make it 2-1. Kováčik went close to adding a third when his angled strike was well saved, but the hosts held on.

Żewłakow's 58th-minute solo goal. Pogoń had momentum after equalising at the start of the half and had a goal disallowed for offside. Żewłakow's direct run from midfield — beating two defenders before finishing — restored Legia's lead and shifted the psychological advantage back to the hosts. Pogoń never seriously threatened an equaliser after that.

Jakub Żewłakow (Legia Warszawa) — Match-winner with a superb solo goal. Constantly involved in build-up play, he also had a shot cleared off the line in the 41st minute and created chances for teammates after the break.

Łukasz Zjawiński (Legia Warszawa) — A mixed afternoon. Missed a penalty in the 42nd minute but scored the all-important opener with a header from Kováčik's cross in the 45th minute. Nearly added a second late on but was denied by a goal-line clearance.

Mikołaj Glacel (Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki) — The Pogoń goalkeeper kept his side in the match with several excellent saves, including the penalty stop from Zjawiński and a quick reaction to deny Żewłakow's follow-up.

Wahan Biczachczjan (Legia Warszawa) — The Armenian midfielder was the creative spark, winning the first-half penalty with a dazzling dribble past four defenders and forcing a fine save from Glacel with a 25-yard strike in the 37th minute.

Legia dominated territory and chances throughout, as the 2-1 scoreline suggests a closer contest than the balance of play reflected. The key stat line: Legia created two clear-cut penalty opportunities (one scored, one saved by Glacel, one missed by Zjawiński) and numerous half-chances from distance, while Pogoń's only meaningful attacking output was the penalty they won and converted 46 seconds into the second half. The strong wind affected both sides' ability to play direct balls, favouring the individual dribbling that decided the match — Biczachczjan's run to win the penalty and Żewłakow's solo winner.

This was Legia's sixth pre-season friendly of summer 2026. Papszun used a largely second-string XI, with players further from the first-choice lineup given minutes. Legia also played a second friendly later on 18 July, losing 0-2 to Aris Limassol. Their competitive season begins on 24 July with an Ekstraklasa opener away at Pogoń Szczecin, followed by a home match against Zagłębie Lubin on 2 August.

For Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki, preparing for the 2026-27 I-liga season, this was a demanding test against top-tier opposition. Bartosz Dembek — on loan from Legia — featured against his parent club. Pogoń showed defensive organisation and took their penalty chance, but lacked the cutting edge to build on the equaliser.

A useful workout for both sides. Legia's second-string XI showed enough attacking quality to win, but Papszun will note the defensive lapse that conceded the penalty seconds into the second half. Żewłakow's individual quality was the difference. For Pogoń, Glacel's performance and the quick equaliser were positives, but the offside disallowed goal and failure to create chances after going behind will be areas to address before the season starts.