A walk in the park for Levy’s men

(Marco Paixao celebrates his double in debut, photo: Slasknet.com)

It was nothing like Śląsk’s last home match against Montenegrian opposition, when almost a year ago they struggled and almost went out of the Champions League qualifications as Buducnost Podgorica won narrowly in Wrocław. On a warm summer Thursday night, Stanislav Levy’s team needed just ten minutes to confirm their promotion to the next round – as much thanks to quality of new players as to mistakes made by Rudar players.

by Michał Zachodny in Wrocław

Visiting coached moaned about lack of focus in the opening stages of the game but it must be said that fifth team of last season in Montenegro have never played at such stadium with 17,000 crowd constantly chanting. New experience and yet there was more expected from a team that has brought with them no fans, no journalists and not even a press officer. As it turned out, it was the easiest match of all Polish ties in the opening week of European qualifications.

Marco Paixao, new addition to Stanislav Levy’s squad, will take all headlines as in his debut for Śląsk he scored twice adding an assists to Waldemar Sobota. If anybody was curious whether three strikers let go this summer will be missed, he proved that any memories of Cristian Diaz, Johan Voskamp and Łukasz Gikiewicz will be gone quickly – ten minutes in and he was on for his hat-trick. Firstly, he converted brilliant flat cross from Dudu Paraiba, another summer transfer of Śląsk, and just ten minutes in the game he won some space to meet with Sobota’s pass and poke home again.

Although Stanislav Levy was quite irritated that his team slowed down after half-hour mark, Śląsk was in full control as Rudar was unable to produce anything more than just a weak shot straight into hands of Rafał Gikiewicz. Despite early second half warning from opponents, Śląsk quickly got in the scoring mood again and it was clever chip between defenders from Marci Paixao to Waldemar Sobota that created third goal. The scorer has faced more questions about his future than his strike though, as Śląsk is unable again to prepare clear and attractive offer of new contract for pacy winger. Two clubs are interested in him but both have been turned down by Polish club.

Fourth goal was again a debutant strike and this time it was more luck than quality of team’s movement as Sebino Plaku, just couple of seconds after he came on the pitch, found himself free in the box and ball landing at his feet from keeper’s poor clearance. All he had to do was to put it in the empty net and soon as he did just that, Albanian winger was celebrating with fans. Śląsk could and probably should have scored more but in the end four-nil win was as comfortable as it sounds and trip to Podgorica where the return leg will be played will be nothing like last year’s controversial and heated match with Buducnost.

ŚLĄSK WROCŁAW 4-0 Rudar Pljevlja 

Paixao 5′, 10′, Sobota 56′, Plaku 70′

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