The Polish Cup produced another reminder of why it remains one of the most unpredictable knockout competitions in the country, as lower-tier Avia Świdnik held top-flight Radomiak Radom to a 1-1 draw on 29 October 2026 before the Ekstraklasa side finally edged through on penalties. On a cold evening at the Stadion Miejski in Świdnik, the home crowd witnessed their team punch well above its weight against a Radomiak side that arrived as clear favourites.

Match overview

The tie pitted Avia Świdnik, a club with a proud regional identity in the Lublin area, against Radomiak Radom, one of the established names in Polish football's top division. The gap in resources and league status was obvious before kick-off, but cup football has a habit of flattening those differences, and Avia's approach was built around exactly that idea: a compact, disciplined shape, quick counter-attacks and a set-piece threat that kept the visitors uncomfortable.

Radomiak dominated possession from the opening minutes, circulating the ball patiently in an attempt to pull Avia's midfield block out of position. The hosts, however, refused to be dragged out of their structure and defended their penalty area with real conviction, closing down shooting lanes and forcing the Ekstraklasa side into a series of speculative crosses.

Key moments

• An early spell of Radomiak pressure produced several corners, but Avia's back line dealt with each delivery comfortably.
• The hosts took a shock lead when a quick transition down the right ended with a low ball into the box that was turned in at the near post.
• Radomiak responded with increased tempo after the break, pushing their full-backs higher and committing more bodies forward.
• The equaliser arrived from a well-worked move on the edge of the area, finished with a first-time strike that gave the Avia goalkeeper no chance.
• Both sides had chances in the closing stages, with Avia's goalkeeper producing a fine save to deny a header from close range.
• The tie went to a penalty shootout, where Radomiak's greater composure proved decisive as they advanced 4-3.

Tactical story

The match was a classic knockout contest between a possession side and a counter-attacking underdog. Radomiak lined up with a back four and looked to build through midfield, but Avia's narrow 4-4-2 block denied them central space and forced play out wide. With crosses comfortably defended by the hosts' centre-backs, Radomiak struggled to create clear-cut chances for long spells.

Avia's game plan was executed almost perfectly for 70 minutes. Their two forwards worked relentlessly to press the first pass, their midfield screened the space in front of the back four, and their wide players sprinted forward whenever possession turned over. It was from one of those transitions that the opening goal came, and the home side continued to look dangerous on the break even after conceding the equaliser.

Radomiak's biggest improvement came from their substitutions and a switch to a more direct approach. Pushing an extra body into the box and delivering earlier crosses stretched the Avia defence, and the equalising goal was the reward for that change in rhythm.

Standout performers

Avia's goalkeeper was the defining figure of the evening, making several important saves and managing the game intelligently whenever the ball was in his area. The central defensive pairing were outstanding in the air, while the midfielder who drove the counter-attacks rarely wasted a pass in transition.

For Radomiak, the player who scored the equaliser stood out for his movement between the lines, and the substitute introduced in the second half added much-needed urgency in the final third. The visitors' set-piece deliveries improved in the closing stages of normal time.

What it means

For Radomiak, progression is what matters most. Cup ties against motivated lower-league opposition are notorious traps, and escaping Świdnik — even via penalties — keeps their Polish Cup campaign alive while allowing the squad to focus again on league commitments. For Avia Świdnik, the night was a genuine achievement and a valuable showcase for the club, its supporters and the standard of football below the Ekstraklasa.

The result will be remembered in Świdnik as a night when the margin between the top division and the lower leagues looked a great deal smaller than the table suggests.