Widzew Lodz (home)
- Widzew Lodz are 15th in Ekstraklasa 2025/2026 with 23 points from 21 fixtures.
- Igor Jovicevic has led them in a more direct, high-tempo style since taking over in October 2025 and the side play a game where they flood the box on turnovers and aim to create chaos with a press that is full of risk.
- It is a recipe that can work when it does, but also leads to plenty of open spaces if it doesn’t, which is perhaps why Widzew have conceded 13 times in ten home games this season.
- Widzew have two wins and three defeats in their last five.
Cracovia Krakow (away)
- Cracovia Krakow are fifth in Ekstraklasa 2025/2026 with 32 points from 21 games.
- Cracovia, on the other hand, are all about structure, pressing in numbers, playing through the thirds in a compact build-up and using their wingbacks to create overloads in wide areas.
- Luka Elsner, who took over as head coach in July 2025, has fashioned his side into a hard to play against team that can control the tempo and flow of the game as well as create verticality in attack when they need to.
Head-to-Head
Cracovia have an excellent overall away form this term (W4, D3, L4 from 11), but they are winless in their two trips to Widzew and look set for another frustrating evening.
Key Players
- Sebastian Bergier, who has 11 Ekstraklasa goals in 18 appearances, is the talisman and has been in particularly lethal form recently, scoring four of Widzew’s six in their last five games - the most recent of which was a 2-0 win at Wisla Plock that bounced back from a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to GKS Dospel Katowice the previous weekend.
- Filip Stojilkovic leads Cracovia's frontline with seven goals in 18 league games and will be looking to take advantage of the space that Widzew leave around the box when they press.
Betting Insights
- Widzew Lodz are a 2.0 favorites to defeat fifth-placed Cracovia Krakow at home this Friday, but the visitors, who are 3.4 outsiders, will make the trip with enough recent form and quality to suggest this should be a much closer contest.
- Home advantage and Bergier’s threat in attack make the hosts slight favorites.
Prediction
A draw would probably be the fair result on current form, given Cracovia are unbeaten in five (4 draws and 1 win) and Widzew have two wins and three defeats in their last five, but home advantage and Bergier’s threat in attack make the hosts slight favorites.
