Arka Gdynia begins title charge with 1-0 win at Odra Opole as debutant Kun strikes

Arka Gdynia arrived in Opole as strong promotion favorites after a summer overhaul that brought 15 new players. President Wojciech Pertkiewicz set the tone before kick-off.

We are doing everything to try to attack the Ekstraklasa this year.

Coach Marek Jarolim, who took over in the off-season, referenced Argentina's World Cup run as a stylistic model.

I'd like us to play like Argentina, who don't have tall players and reached the World Cup final.

Odra Opole, hosting at their compact stadium, aimed to spoil the party but struggled to create chances.

First half: a single shot decides it

The opening 30 minutes were cagey. Odra's first meaningful attempt came in the 30th minute when Tomasz Gajda unleashed a powerful long-range strike, forcing a superb one-handed save from Arka goalkeeper Dawid Arndt, who was also making his debut.

Five minutes later, the visitors broke through. Dawid Gojny crossed from the left, Vladislavs Gutkovskis held off two defenders and, while on the ground, teed up Dominik Kun. The 25-year-old midfielder, freshly arrived in Gdynia, drove a low shot past Artur Haluch at the near post.

Arka held the lead into the interval, having registered just that one shot on target. Odra managed only Gajda's effort on goal, which ended up being their sole attempt on frame all evening.

Second half: hitting woodwork and late drama

Arka emerged after the break with greater control. Central defender Marco Komenda, another debutant, nearly doubled the lead early in the half when his long-range effort rattled the post. Moments later Dawid Kocyła headed wide from a Filip Waluś cross. A swift counter-attack saw Jakub Solecki release Waluś, whose low shot was blocked by Haluch.

Odra introduced Bartłomiej Barański and Patryk Szysz at half-time, then made further changes around the 67th minute with Adrian Liber and Branislav Spacil entering. Arka coach Jarolim freshened his side as well, sending on Bartłomiej Pawłowski for Kocyła in the 56th minute and later rotating the full-backs with Jakub Kowalski and Michał Milewski.

The closest Odra came to an equalizer was in the second minute of added time. Substitute Filip Kupczyk lunged at a Mato Milos cross but failed to make contact with the ball only meters from goal, letting Arka escape with a clean sheet.

A debut-heavy lineup

The match reflected a significant squad rebuild. Arka fielded seven players making their first competitive appearances for the club: Dawid Arndt, Konrad Gruszkowski, Marco Komenda, Szymon Lewkot, Filip Waluś, Jakub Solecki, and the goal-scorer Dominik Kun. Elmedin Rama also came on late for Gutkovskis to complete a debut.

The wholesale changes did not disrupt cohesion. Jarolim's side kept a clean sheet and limited Odra to scraps, showing the defensive organization needed for a promotion push.

Looking ahead

Arka return to Gdynia with three points and will host Stal Rzeszów on 1 August at 15:30 in their first home match of the season.