RC Lens secured a 3-2 victory over ten-man Slavia Prague in their UEFA Champions League league phase opener in the Czech capital on Thursday.
Substitute Ruben Aguilar struck the decisive goal late in the second half after Slavia midfielder Mikulas Konecny was sent off shortly after the break.
The encounter featured Polish trio Wiktor Nowak and Oskar Kubiak for Slavia Prague alongside Michal Skoras for RC Lens, all of whom started the fixture following summer transfers to their respective clubs.
Dramatic second half in Prague
The match remained goalless through the first half before exploding into action two minutes after the restart. Mikulas Konecny received a straight red card in the 47th minute for bringing down Abdallah Sima when the forward was through on goal.
Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky adjusted his side into a four-man defense to compensate for the missing player. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Slavia took the lead when Danijel Sturm finished a long pass from Samuel Isife.
RC Lens responded when substitute Ruben Aguilar created an opening for Sima to score the equalizer. Oskar Kubiak appeared hesitant in his defensive challenge during the move, looking anxious to avoid conceding a penalty.
Slavia regained the lead when Sturm scored his second goal of the match to put the hosts ahead 2-1. Lens leveled once again through a header from Florian Thauvin before Emmanuel Ayaosi missed a clear chance to put the French side ahead.
The decisive moment arrived after Slavia striker Tomas Chory lost possession during buildup play. Aguilar seized on the mistake and drove a shot into the far corner to seal a 3-2 win for Lens.
Wiktor Nowak adapts to Slavia
Wiktor Nowak delivered an energetic performance in the Slavia midfield after arriving in the summer from Gornik Zabrze following a loan spell at Wisla Plock. Nowak was thrust into early action because David Moses was serving a suspension and every central midfielder other than Michal Sadilek was a new addition to the squad.
Czech journalist Bart Cernik told Filip Macuda of Sport.pl that Trpisovsky usually takes several months to integrate new signings. Cernik noted that Nowak adapted remarkably fast from a defensive team at Plock to a dominant Slavia side because the manager values hard-working players.
Cernik added that Nowak must refine his combination play once he gains confidence on the ball, which would make him an attractive prospect for clubs in Europe's top five leagues.
Nowak showed early initiative with a low shot past goalkeeper Robin Risser that drifted wide, though the play was ruled offside. In the 28th minute, after finding space to shoot from distance, he attempted an awkward pass to Mojmir Chytil that failed to reach his teammate.
He redeemed himself moments later by blocking a rebound shot from Matthieu Udol that threatened the Slavia goal. Nowak finished the first half with an 86 percent pass accuracy rate, completing 12 of 14 passes including six accurate balls in the opposition half.
After Konecny was sent off, Nowak dropped deeper to support the defense and covered the pitch extensively before being substituted in the 82nd minute. He completed 16 of 20 passes for an 80 percent accuracy rate, with nine accurate passes in the Lens half.
His final stats included eight losses of possession, one successful dribble, one tackle, one interception, two clearances, and three blocked shots. He won two of six ground duels and one of three aerial duels, though he was dribbled past twice.
Oskar Kubiak tests European stage
Slavia wing-back Oskar Kubiak also earned a starting spot after moving to Prague from Arka Gdynia during the summer transfer window. Kubiak stands ten centimeters shorter than El Hadji Malick Diouf, who left Slavia for West Ham United two years ago before transferring to Brentford for 40.8 million euros.
Diouf recorded nine goals and four assists during his time at Slavia and has since provided five assists for Brentford, having frequently operated as a traditional left-back at West Ham before their relegation from the Premier League.
Trpisovsky praised Kubiak after the player completed 60 minutes on his debut in a domestic match against Zbrojovka Brno. The manager stated that Kubiak possessed exceptional quality and faced a bright career, adding that the player had only one flaw to eliminate before reaching world-class status.
During Thursday's fixture, direct duels between Kubiak and Skoras were infrequent as both wing-backs focused on buildup duties. Kubiak tested the Lens defense in the 37th minute with a long-range shot that failed to hit the target.
In the first half, Kubiak won 75 percent of his duels, making three clearances and two interceptions while committing one foul on Skoras. Following the red card, his offensive runs were limited, and he hesitated during Sima's equalizing goal.
David Jurasek replaced Kubiak in the 76th minute. Kubiak completed 10 of 16 passes for a 63 percent accuracy rate, including eight passes in the Lens half. He registered five clearances, two interceptions, three ground duels won out of six, and one aerial duel won, but recorded no successful dribbles and lost possession 12 times.
Michał Skóraś features for Lens
Michal Skoras lined up on the right flank for RC Lens under German head coach Dino Toppmoller. Lens operates without traditional wingers, utilizing two attacking midfielders, which leaves Skoras to cover the entire flank in place of the injured Saud Abdulhamid.
Skoras joined Lens in the summer after spending three years in Belgium with Club Brugge and KAA Gent. He previously played five Champions League matches for Club Brugge during the 2024-25 season and had tested at wing-back in Poland under Marek Papszun, as well as refining his defensive duties at Lech Poznan under managers Maciej Skorza and John van den Brom.
Lens was missing a second Polish player as Maik Nawrocki suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Nawrocki was expected to miss the remainder of the season after previously serving as Toppmoller's first choice in defense.
Skoras made an impact in the 40th minute by dribbling past a Slavia defender near goalkeeper Jakub Markovic's net and crossing into the penalty area, though Franjo Ivanovic could not get a shot away. Skoras finished the first half with three ground duels won out of four, one aerial duel won, two ball recoveries, seven accurate passes out of nine in the opposition half, and one foul on Kubiak.
In the 56th minute, Skoras slipped before attempting a cross and lost the ball, though his intelligent movement inside helped create space on the flanks for teammates such as Andrija Bulatovic. Toppmoller replaced Skoras after 60 minutes with Aguilar.
Skoras ended the match with an 82 percent pass completion rate, 11 of 14 accurate passes in the opposition half, four duels won out of six, one successful dribble, and 10 losses of possession. He entered the match following a recent performance against AJ Auxerre where he registered an assist.
National team prospects under Urban
The performances of the Polish trio carry significance for Poland national team manager Jan Urban, who consistently deploys a tactical system featuring three central defenders and wing-backs. Skoras has already established himself within the national team squad, while Nowak and Kubiak are pushing for opportunities.
Kubiak provides a potential option on the left flank, where Poland has faced selection challenges and currently relies on players such as Michal Gurgul and Tymoteusz Puchacz. Nowak's defensive work rate and midfield energy offer another prospective alternative for the national side.
Other Polish players participating in the 2026-27 Champions League campaign include Puchacz at Sabah Baku, as well as Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior, and Oskar Pietuszewski at FC Porto, with Pietuszewski set to return once he recovers from an injury.
Their presence comes at a time when Polish representation in top European clubs has shifted. Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny previously represented FC Barcelona, with Szczesny now serving as second or third choice goalkeeper.
Piotr Zielinski and Nicola Zalewski reached the 2025 Champions League final with Inter Milan, though Zielinski does not start regularly. Matty Cash reached the 2025 quarter-finals with Aston Villa and now competes for his spot against Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
