Currently, the most dangerous rivals for Elbląg are teams ranked from 16th to 11th. Interestingly, the upcoming round will feature many direct clashes:

• GKS Jastrzębie (Jastrzębie Zdrój) - Wisła Puławy
• Skra Częstochowa - Stomil Olsztyn
• Olimpia Grudziądz - KKS 1925 Kalisz
• Lech II Poznań - Sandecja Nowy Sącz

Skra could practically relegate Stomil Olsztyn, with good chances of winning. KKS Kalisz must win to have a shot at the playoffs and securing a high position in the table (currently third), but they haven't won in five matches. Grudziądz will want to capitalize on this and has a chance. Jastrzębie might defeat Wisła as they are notably more effective at home.

As a result, if Olimpia Elbląg wants a more comfortable position going into the final round, they must secure points against Polonia Bytom. However, among all these clubs, Polonia Bytom appears to be the toughest opponent. Winning would be ideal, but the newcomer is the best team this spring in the entire league, having lost only one match and scored 26 points in 13 games. They have also scored the most goals, beating goalkeepers 30 times. Previously, they defeated Chojniczanka 4:1 in Chojnice.

However, our footballers still have everything in their hands. Olimpia, on the other hand, struggles with scoring goals and winning matches. Two victories ensure survival, but this year they've only managed this feat three times. Since coach Sebastian Letniowski took over, Elbląg has not lost a match. Among the teams fighting to stay in the league, only they haven't been defeated in the last five matches. On the flip side, under this coach, Olimpia has scored only two goals. Defense is crucial for the coach, but with the schedule, the form of both hosts and rivals, simply avoiding defeat might not be enough.

The last round is also intriguing:

• Polonia Bytom - Lech II Poznań
• Hutnik Kraków - Olimpia Grudziądz
• KKS 1925 Kalisz - Skra Częstochowa
• ŁKS II Łódź - GKS Jastrzębie
• Wisła Puławy - Pogoń Siedlce
• Chojniczanka – Olimpia Elbląg

Against Elbląg, there is a decision related to Jastrzębie. GKS will play against ŁKS reserves at home instead of playing away. The facility in Łódź will be occupied, so the match will take place in Jastrzębie Zdrój. This changes the balance of power. In favor of Olimpia, most hosts in the final round have something to play for.

At the beginning of the match, Nikola Owczarek got injured. The winger reportedly has a minor injury, although it looked serious. We wish her health and a quick return to the court. As for absences, Paulina Kopańska still cannot help her team and is waiting for the chance to return to training.

In the 5th minute, Paulina Stapurewicz scored, making it 4-2. This was when EKS had their first stagnation. The rivals took advantage of two counterattacks and a defensive error, taking a 6-4 lead. These four consecutive goals didn’t scare Start, who responded similarly and capped their period of dominance with a goal by Aleksandra Zabielny. 8-6.

From the 15th minute, we saw many unsuccessful attempts by Piotrcovia. Start wasn't impressive either, but they gradually increased their lead over the visitors. They pulled away to 11-8 in the 23rd minute thanks to Weronika Weber. When Juliane Costa Pereira later received a penalty, the visitors had a solid advantage to catch up with the locals. This is when the unpredictability of handball showed itself. Start scored two goals while being a player down, and then Marta Gęga improved the hosts' score with her throw. 14-9, and at halftime, it was 15-11.

In the second half, the rivals of the Elbląg team started to play. After the break, they quickly scored two goals, making the game open again. In the 34th minute, Paulina Stapurewicz scored, making it 16-13. Errors in EKS’s attack and Piotrcovia's effectiveness allowed the visitors to get even closer. In the 38th minute, Silvie Polaskova converted a penalty into a goal. In the next action, the ball was again in Start's net, making it 17-17. For the first time since the 8th minute, the Piotrcovia players were leading and didn’t let it slip. It was the 44th minute and the match was entering its decisive phase. Sylwia Radushko scored to make it 19-18, and then it continued.

EKS faltered in the attack. Daria Opelt blocked an Elbląg player's shot, and Tauani Schneider Martins used the counter to increase the lead. Start was chasing. In the 47th minute, Weronika Weber scored a lob from a penalty, but then Tatiana Trbović also scored. When Daria Opelt stopped Aleksandra Zabielny's shot and Lucyna Sobecka changed the score to 24-20 in the 53rd minute, it was clear that getting points would be very difficult. Weronika Weber's blocked penalty shot and Patrycja Królikowska's spectacular spin shot settled the matter.

Piotr Prokurat broke the deadlock. Later, this player scored again, and shortly after, he made a shot from a distance. Kacper Szuszkiewicz followed suit, and PZKOSZ led by only 9 points. Still, towards the end of this period, our point guard made a precise shot, allowing focus on recovering in the second quarter.

The second quarter began with a precise three-pointer from Kacper Szuszkiewicz. Paweł Budziński scored for a tie, and Energa took the lead thanks to a shot from Kacper Jastrzębski. From that moment on, Elbasket dictated the pace of the competition. In the 6th minute, Piotr Prokurat managed a shot from distance, and the scoreboard showed 37:30 for Basketball.

Before the third quarter, both teams tried their strength in free throws, with the hosts having better success. However, Kacper Szuszkiewicz recorded another three-pointer, giving Elbasket a 7-point lead. The third quarter saw excellent accuracy from our team from a distance. Kacper Szuszkiewicz scored three times in this manner, with Kacper Jastrzębski, Krzysztof Niburski, and Piotr Prokurat each adding one shot. This provided a significant advantage to the Elbląg team.

In the fourth quarter, Kacper Jastrzębski mainly scored for Basketball. If Energa defeats SSP Orka in Iława in the next match, they will secure first place in the league.

SMS PZKOSZ Władysławowo - Energa Basketball Elbląg 58:82 (23:17, 12:25, 13:26, 10:14)

Energa Basketball Elbląg: Szuszkiewicz 20 (6), Prokurat 19 (3), Jastrzębski 19 (2), Pawlak 9, Niburski 3 (1), Budziński 10, Szarszewski 2, Krakowski, Glaner, Jakimowicz

Right away, Start faces a crucial match in the context of achieving their goal for this season. That goal is primarily to advance to the top six. This would ensure that EKS does not compete for survival but plays attractive matches against the strongest teams. In the first year of the new coach’s work, this would be a success. 

At the moment, our girls are in 6th place in the standings. In their six appearances so far, EKS has won half of those matches and defeated teams that are currently behind Elbląg in the table. One of these teams is Koszalin. They will start the game from the 7th position, so this match is also of great significance for the visitors. 

In their previous match, Młyny Stoisław Koszalin lost at home to MKS FunFloor Lublin 25:31. EKS Start Elbląg, on the other hand, suffered a heavy defeat to KPR Gminy Kobierzyce 26:45. The Elbląg lineup features one of the league's top scorers, Weronika Weber. The winger scores with an over 72% shooting accuracy. The local fans will be counting on her goals. EKS Start Elbląg – Młyny 

Młyny Stoisław Koszalin, Sunday, November 27, 4:00 PM

Most of the new players have significant experience in the second league and higher. Importantly, they played regularly in their clubs last season. Goalkeeper Kacper Tułowiecki, defender Łukasz Bogusławski, and forward Mateusz Kuzimski were at Radunia Stężyca. Radosław Stępień at Gwardia Koszalin and Bałtyk Gdynia. Dawid Szałecki at Cartusia Kartuzy. Wojciech Fadecki less at first-league Polonia Warszawa, but previously he was a key player in the second league. Let's not forget about the returning Marcin Czernis. 

The biggest problem will be filling the youth player spots. The first in line to play is forward Dominik Kozera. And the second could be Konrad Łabecki, tested during friendlies. However, inexperienced young players from the 4th league, such as Maciej Tobojka or Adam Rychter, are waiting in reserve. Similar problems exist at Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała. The home team, after being relegated from the top tier's backup, is looking for a new team identity. There has been a change of coach, the entire defense block, including the goalkeeper, and those responsible for scoring goals. 

Krzysztof Brede has become the coach. In goal will be Konrad Forenc, who sporadically played for Korona Kielce in the previous campaign. The defense also consists of players in their 30s and older, such as Marcin Biernat, Daniel Dziwniel, and Kornel Osyra. All experienced, but still getting in sync, while in attack will be Bartosz Florek from Stomil (who scored goals) and Paweł Tomczyk from Polonia Warszawa (a few goals, mainly as a substitute). Besides them, there are a few young players. 

Both teams are thus at a similar stage, so Olimpia should go there for points. Interestingly, this will be Olimpia's first-ever match against Podbeskidzie. Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała – Olimpia Elbląg, Sunday, July 21, 6:00 PM, no broadcast.

The team did not manage to stay in the third league, but they confidently won their second consecutive and fourth overall regional cup. This secured them a spot in the first round of the Fortuna Polish Cup at the central level and a prize of 40,000 PLN. Their opponent could be from the PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa, Fortuna I Liga, or another regional cup winner from a different voivodeship. Thus, all teams at the central level are in the pool, except those participating in European competitions.

Another reward for the previous season is the Pro Junior System. Concordia promoted their young players, earning them second place in this classification. However, relegation meant they received only half of the amount from the Polish Football Association (PZPN), which is 150,000 PLN, plus several thousand in additional prizes.

The new season in the ForBet IV league will be completely different. The senior team will be coached by Marcin Szweda, who holds a UEFA A Elite Youth diploma. He is also the coordinator of the club’s football academy. In the past season, he led the younger juniors and in spring, the older juniors. His players got opportunities in the third league and are also expected to be a significant part of the senior team.

From the new season, these boys have aged out of junior categories and are now included in the senior team. They will be divided into the first and second teams. The preparation period and especially the pre-season camp will allow us to assess the players' potential and assign them to specific teams, explains the new coach.

Many players from the third league will not be playing for Concordia anymore, including Bartosz Danowski (Polonia Lidzbark Warmiński) and Joao Augusto (GKS Wikielec).

As for the second team, Concordia II Elbląg will compete in the district class. The reserve team will be coached by Maciej Kaczorowski. The squad will mainly consist of young players, including the club’s homegrown talents.

Concordia Elbląg's friendlies:

• July 13: Grom Nowy Staw (away)
• July 20: Bałtyk Gdynia (away)
• July 27: Pomezania Malbork (away)
• On August 3 or 4, the Słoniki will play their first competitive match in the first round of the Regional Polish Cup against Agat in Jegłownik.