Poland hold 10th in UEFA ranking after Lech and Gornik

Poland have held on to 10th place in the UEFA ranking after Lech Poznan and Gornik Zabrze completed their second-leg matches in Champions League qualifying, but the margin remains tight with the Czech Republic and Greece still applying pressure.

Lech exit after home defeat and penalties

Lech Poznan were first in action on Wednesday and suffered a damaging result at home against Danish side Aarhus. The Polish club lost 0-3 after 90 minutes, forcing extra time, where the game ended level at 1-1.

The tie then went to penalties, with Aarhus coming through 4-3 to progress to the next stage of Champions League qualifying. For Poland in the UEFA ranking, the outcome was especially frustrating because Lech did not add any points to the national total.

Gornik add only a small boost

Gornik Zabrze went into their return match needing to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first meeting with Fenerbahce, having lost 0-1 away from home.

At half-time the second leg was level at 1-1, with Sacek scoring for Gornik and Talisca replying for the visitors. No further goals followed after the break, meaning Gornik's contribution to Poland's UEFA ranking from the night was limited to 0.1 points.

Poland still looking over their shoulder

The combined effect of those results means Poland remain 10th in the UEFA ranking rather than slipping out of the top 10. That said, the position is far from secure.

Czech and Greek clubs are still the main threat immediately behind Poland, and their matches in the Europa League and Conference League on Thursday will be closely watched from a Polish perspective.

More points on the line for Rakow and GKS Katowice

There is still more work to do this week for Poland's clubs in Europe. Rakow Czestochowa and GKS Katowice are both due to play their Conference League second legs on Thursday.

• Rakow Czestochowa face Valletta away from home after winning the first match 3-1.
• GKS Katowice host Zilina after losing the away leg 1-2.

Those fixtures could yet prove important in protecting Poland's current standing. For now, 10th place remains intact, but the battle to stay there is clearly still alive.