Polish champions Czarni Sosnowiec suffered a 4-1 defeat at home to Belgian side OH Leuven in the first leg of their UEFA Women's Champions League third round qualifier on Wednesday evening.
Kadhiya De Ceuster put the visitors ahead early before Klaudia Miłek equalised for the hosts, but three second-half goals sealed victory for the Belgian club in Sosnowiec.
De Ceuster beat goalkeeper Anna Palińska just six minutes into the match to give Leuven an early lead. Miłek responded for Czarni Sosnowiec less than 20 minutes later to level the scores at 1-1 heading into half time.
Izabella Dekker struck twice in a lethal five-minute spell during the second half to give Leuven a two-goal cushion. Lily Hoekx added a fourth goal in the 81st minute to leave the Polish side facing a difficult task ahead of the return leg.
Financial stakes and European qualification
Qualification for the Women's Champions League main stage brings prestige alongside substantial financial rewards. Reports on Polish football portal laczynaspilka.com estimate the current annual budget of Czarni Sosnowiec at around 2.5 million Polish zloty, an amount equal to the bonus for reaching the group phase.
If Sebastian Stemplewski's side fail to progress, they will receive 160,000 euros and transition into the secondary UEFA Europa Cup competition. Poland has not fielded a club in the main stage of the men's UEFA Champions League since 2016 and will not feature in this season's tournament either.
Qualifying path and return leg details
Czarni Sosnowiec reached the decisive third qualifying round after advancing through two mini-tournament rounds. The team defeated WFC Nike Lusso 7-1 and Athlone Town 3-1, before overcoming Apollon Ladies on penalties and defeating Spartak Myjava 4-2.
Belgian side OH Leuven entered the tie as clear favourites after gaining experience in last season's Champions League league stage, where they finished 12th. During that campaign, Leuven defeated Dutch team Twente Enschede 2-1 and recorded a 0-0 draw against Paris Saint-Germain alongside a 1-1 draw against Roma.
The second leg will take place in Belgium in a week's time on September 2, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 local time.
