TM expert classifies
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In the Bundesliga it is not yet completely clear who will end up in the top six – but a clear picture is emerging. The fact that Eintracht Frankfurt could get into the relegation battle again in seventh place is illusory given their 14 points lead over the relegation zone. In the Polish Ekstraklasa things are completely different. Only nine points (and the better goal difference) separate Lukas Podolski and Górnik Zabrze in fourth place from newly promoted Arka Gdynia in 16th place.
With Europe’s narrowest football upper house, only LaLiga can keep up with some of the 25 most valuable first leagues of those that are not divided into a championship and relegation round like the Austrian Bundesliga. There are currently ten points between places seven and 18. “It’s extraordinary for the league too,” says Michael Sroka, Area Manager Poland at Transfermarkt. “However, it is no longer as extreme as it was during the winter break. The spread has become somewhat larger, with six points between the league leader and sixth place.”
Defending champion Lech Poznan leads the Ekstraklasa table with 44 points, followed by Zaglebie Lubin and Jagiellonia Bialystok with 41 each and Górnik. The champions and runners-up take part in the qualification for the Champions League, albeit starting in the same round, while the third and fourth teams play for a place in the Conference League. Theoretically, any team can still have the goal. Purely mathematically, bottom team Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza with 22 points in eight games remaining is the only one that can no longer become champions, but can only finish fourth. Lech Poznan could still fall back to last place – at least theoretically.
Consistency of the top teams: Why no one stands out in Poland
The reasons for the close race in Poland? Above all, expert Sroka mentions “basically little consistency among the teams, numerous draws, and also too many defeats for the top teams, even Lech with six or Jagiellonia with seven”. Again the comparison with the Bundesliga: Bayern only lost one game, BVB lost two – both against the record champions. According to Sroka, Poznan in particular, which has won six of the last seven games, is on the rise and is “significantly stronger again”. On the other hand, pursuers Zaglebie Lubin have recently lost 0-1 twice and Jagiellonia has been waiting for a three-pointer since the beginning of February.
In Sroka’s opinion, the latter and Lech Posen should ultimately “decide for the title between themselves. Zaglebie Lubin is quite surprising; before the season, many saw them in a relegation battle. Górnik is also slightly above expectations, as is newly promoted Wisla Plock, who have slacked off with five defeats from the last seven games – but at least Jagiellonia were beaten recently. At the winter break, however, they were still close to first place”.
The seventh-place team, Motor Lublin, is also on the rise: “They are in the Ekstraklasa for the second year and are currently unbeaten in five games with four wins. In this form, they will still be involved in the fight for international business. The big unknown is Raków Czestochowa, who was actually one of the favorites for the title, but recently they have made too many mistakes with only two wins from eight games. The departure of successful coach Marek Papszun to Legia Warsaw in the winter was something a turning point.”
The 51-year-old, champion with Raków in 2023, has not yet managed to lead the record champions out of the Valley of Tears. Legia hasn’t lost since matchday 20 and is now in 15th place, but is still playing far below expectations. “You and Widzew Lodz (17th) are huge disappointments, two traditional clubs that are fighting for survival. Widzew Lodz is owned by one of the richest men in the country and has completely shattered the league’s spending record – yet they are fighting against relegation.” However: If a league is as close as the Polish Ekstraklasa in spring 2026, a small winning streak may still be possible, even for previously disappointing teams.
