GDANSK, Poland (Interstat) — Lechia Gdansk opened its Ekstraklasa season with a commanding 4-2 victory over Korona Kielce on Monday, defying a pregame simulation and capitalizing on a first-half red card to dominate the match at Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk.

The home side’s attack proved too potent for the visitors, who played more than an hour with 10 men after defender Costas Soteriou was sent off in the 27th minute. The result immediately separated the two sides in the early Polish league table, with Lechia Gdansk starting the campaign with a win and Korona Kielce beginning with a loss.

The game’s complexion changed decisively midway through the first half. After a cagey opening that saw early yellow cards for Lechia’s Tomasz Wójtowicz and Korona’s Camilo Mena, Soteriou was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge, leaving the visitors to defend a man down for the remainder of the contest.

Lechia Gdansk broke through just before the halftime whistle. Midfielder Aleksandar Ćirković found the net in the 45th minute, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish. They doubled their advantage shortly after the hour mark, with midfielder Rifet Kapič scoring in the 59th minute to solidify their control.

Korona Kielce showed brief resilience, pulling a goal back in the 82nd minute through substitute Pau Resta to make it 2-1 and introduce a hint of tension. However, Lechia Gdansk quickly extinguished any hope of a comeback. Forward Dawid Kurminowski, who had been booked earlier in the half, restored the two-goal cushion in the third minute of second-half stoppage time, scoring to make it 3-1. Substitute Dawid Błanik then added a fourth for the hosts moments later.

The final scoreline represented a significant deviation from the pregame projection by Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a 1-1 draw. The same analytics system had given Lechia Gdansk a 68.1% probability of winning outright, a forecast the team emphatically exceeded.

Kurminowski was instrumental in the victory, finishing with a goal and an assist to lead all performers. His late goal and earlier setup were key in securing the three points. Beyond the scorers, midfielder Tomasz Wójtowicz and forward Camilo Mena each recorded an assist for their respective sides, while defender Bujar Pllana also notched an assist for Lechia before receiving a yellow card in the dying moments.

The match was the season opener for both clubs in Poland’s top flight. With the victory, Lechia Gdansk’s record across all competitions this season stands at one win and no losses. Korona Kielce’s record, conversely, falls to no wins and one loss in all matches. The teams will continue their Ekstraklasa schedules next weekend, with Lechia Gdansk looking to build on this offensive showcase and Korona Kielce aiming to regroup after a difficult start hampered by ill-discipline.