Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma made his UEFA Champions League debut on Tuesday night as Polish giants Lech Poznań cruised to a dominant 7–1 victory over Icelandic champions Breiðablik in the first leg of the second qualifying round at Stadion MOS Poznań.
Ouma, on loan at Lech from Czech outfit Slavia Prague, was introduced at the start of the second half, replacing Alan Kozubal.
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Wearing jersey number 6, the 21-year-old Kenyan displayed composure and maturity in midfield, marking a major milestone in his career with a debut in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
The match exploded into life early on as Antonio Milić opened the scoring for Lech in the 4th minute, heading home from a well-delivered corner to set the tone. However, the visitors responded when Höskuldur Gunnlaugsson equalized from the penalty spot in the 29th minute after a foul in the box.
Breiðablik’s hopes of an upset were dashed three minutes later when Viktor Örn Margeirsson was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge after VAR review, reducing the Icelanders to ten men. From that point, it was all Lech Poznań.
Swedish striker Mikael Ishak restored the lead from the spot in the 37th minute, confidently converting his first of three penalties. João Pereira then made it 3-1 in the 42nd minute , finishing off a swift move with a clean strike past the keeper.
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Deep into first-half stoppage time, Ishak converted his second penalty in the 45’+3 , and just moments later, Leo Bengtsson added a fifth in 45’+6 ,sending Lech into the break with a commanding 5-1 lead.
Timothy Ouma came on at the break as Lech looked to manage the game and maintain their dominance. The Kenyan midfielder slotted into the heart of midfield and was effective in recycling possession and linking play, showing good positional awareness and sharp passing.
Lech continued their dominance, and in the 77th minute, Filip Jagiełło made it 6-1 with a composed finish following a well-orchestrated team move. Ishak then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 85th minute, his third successful penalty of the night, capping off a perfect night for Lech Poznań.
With a resounding 7–1 win, Lech Poznań have all but booked their place in the third qualifying round. The return leg in Iceland appears a mere formality, with John van den Brom’s side carrying a massive six-goal advantage.
Lech Poznań will travel to Iceland next week needing only a draw to advance to the next round.
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