Legia Warszawa has had a tense season, but the worst-case scenario has already been ruled out. With two rounds before the end of the competition, the capital team is sure of staying in the PKO Ekstraklasa. Marek Papszun took over the team at a difficult time, and now he can say that he has completed the basic task.

Legia Warszawa is no longer at risk of relegation

After the 32nd round of the PKO Ekstraklasa, Legia Warszawa is ninth in the table. The team from the capital has 43 points and although this is not the result that fans expected before the start of the season, it provides the most important guarantee: Legia will not be relegated.

Mathematical certainty of survival became a fact after Arka Gdynia’s draw with Górnik Zabrze. The team from Pomerania, which is penultimate in the table, has 36 points and is no longer able to overtake the Warsaw club. The situation of Bruk-Bet Termalika Nieciecza is even worse, closing the league table with 28 points.

The table structure helped Legia

At first glance, Legia’s advantage over teams from the bottom of the table does not look impressive. Lechia Gdańsk, which opens the relegation zone, has 38 points. Korona Kielce and Widzew Łódź have collected 39 points each, Cracovia has 40, Piast Gliwice and Pogoń Szczecin have 41 each, and Motor Lublin 42.

Some of these teams can theoretically still finish the season ahead of Legia. The key thing, however, is that not all of them can overtake the Warsaw team at the same time. The schedule and the direct match between Korona and Widzew in the next round turned out to be decisive.

Why is Legia safe now?

Korona and Widzew have a clash ahead of them, which limits the possibilities of both teams. In the event of a draw, each of these teams could end the season with 43 points, which is the amount Legia already has. However, if one of the clubs loses, it will not be able to catch up with the Warsaw team.

Additionally, Legia has a favorable record of direct matches with both Korona and Widzew. This means that even if the number of points is equal, the capital club will be classified higher. That is why defeats in the last two rounds will not push Legia into the relegation zone.

Marek Papszun took over the team in crisis

This is an important moment for Marek Papszun, although it is difficult to talk about a great success in the context of Legia’s ambitions. The coach took over the team in December, when the situation was much more serious. The Warsaw team was then in the relegation zone, and the specter of relegation was not just a theoretical threat.

Papszun managed to stabilize the results and lead the team out of the deepest crisis. Legia did not return to the fight for the top places, but it avoided a disaster that would have been one of the biggest shocks in the club’s history.

Legia still has two matches left

Legia has two more matches until the end of the season. First, the Warsaw team will play away against Lechia Gdańsk, and then they will host Motor Lublin at home. These matches will no longer be important for Legia in terms of survival, but they may affect the final place in the table.

The capital club can therefore finish the competition without the pressure of relegation. This is not much considering the expectations for Legia, but after a difficult season the most important goal was achieved. Papszun made the minimum plan, and with Łazienkowska they can already think about how to avoid a similar scenario in the next games.