Spot-on Legia beat Lech in Polish Cup final

Legia Warszawa claimed the Polish Cup for the 14th time – eight more than any other side has mustered – after KKS Lech Poznań captain Bartosz Bosacki's miss ultimately earned the capital club a 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory.

The sides were locked at 1-1 after 120 minutes, Manu's deflected effort cancelling out Dimitrije Injac's opener for Lech midway through the second period. Lech almost stole it just before the end of regulation time but Jacek Kiełb's strike came back off the crossbar and when Bosacki missed their first spot kick the initiative swung back to Legia – they never lost it, Jakub Wawrzyniak sealing victory.

Their reward is a UEFA Europa League spot though for a long time Lech, who twice drew with Juventus and earned a famous win against Manchester City FC in their run to the last 32 this season, looked the likely winners. José Maria Bakero's side bossed the opening exchanges, and while goalkeeper Wojciech Skaba did well to deny Jakub Wilk he could do nothing about Injac's 29th-minute shot.

Artjoms Rudņevs went close to doubling their advantage after half-time before Legia rather fortuitously got back on terms as Krzysztof Kotorowski was left wrong-footed when Manu's shot struck Grzegorz Wojtkowiak. Jakub Rzeźniczak and Michael Hubnik had chances to win it in for Legia, while Kiełb rattled the crossbar from distance.

Chances continued to come and go, before veteran Bosacki presented Legia with a golden one in the shoot-out − Maciej Skorża's men duly took it. Lech's ambitions of returning to European competition therefore rest on the league. With six games remaining they are tenth, though only three points off third place.