September 14 Jagiellonia lost 0:5 to Lech, but the reaction of the Polish champions to this crisis was impressive. They won nine of the next ten matches – plus one draw – including winning the Conference League twice. They beat Copenhagen 2-1 away and Petrocub 2-0 at home. On Thursday evening in the capital of Podlasie, the task was not easy, because the rival was Molde, Norway.
Afimico Pululu – Mr. League Conference
Molde was supposed to start strong, but Jagiellonia quickly takes the lead. Already in the seventh minute, Afimico Pululu made his presence felt. The hosts' striker finished Jarosław Kubicki's header, which hit the crossbar. With a strong shot, the Angolan put the ball into the net between the legs of the rivals' goalkeeper, who was a Pole – Albert Pociela. It was Pululu's fourth goal in the third match of the league stage of this competition.
After the result was changed, the game became chaotic and interrupted, also due to two longer breaks resulting from the firing of flares by fans hosts. Still, Adrian Siemieniec's players were the more specific side. The guests started to gain the advantage only around the 30th minute, but this did not translate into dangerous situations or shots on target. Jagiellonia well neutralized the actions of the Molde players, thanks to which they went into the break with a 1-0 lead. Sławomir Abramowicz was basically unemployed.
In the 53rd minute, the guests recorded their first shot on target, but it landed calmly in the hands of Jagiellonia's goalkeeper. The Norwegians were pressing, they had favorable minutes, but the defense of the Polish champions was really tight and, what's more, they bit back on the offensive. After one hour of play Jesus Imaz released Kristoffer Hansen with a brilliant pass into the free field. The Norwegian acted like a professor, finishing the action with a confident shot.
A moment later it was even more beautiful. Jesus Imaz, who deserved the goal, scored the goal, but replays showed that Pululu, who assisted him, was unfortunately offside. VAR had to cancel the goal to make it 3-0, but ten minutes later there was no controversy.
Pululu kept the ball, waited for Imaz, who received the ball, and the Spaniard consciously played in front of the empty goal to Hansen. The Norwegian scored a double, and the Spaniard added a second assist for his goal. It was a Jagiellonia concert and it is only a pity that not a full audience watched it from the stands, but only 12,000 people. The offensive team played the first fiddle, but the defensive formation deserves additional praise, as it did not allow the opponent to score a single goal. Tactically, Jagiellonia played this match exceptionally.
The last minutes passed peacefully. There were changes, and Molde was already resigned to a severe defeat. The referee blew the whistle for the last time, and Adrian Siemieniec's players could enjoy their third victory in the Conference League. Like Legia Warszawa they have a full set of points.