Signed Wednesday, 90 minutes on Saturday: the numbers behind Bielik's Cardiff debut
Krystian Bielik had been a Cardiff City player for three days when the team sheet went up on Saturday, and there was the new number at centre-back, straight in beside Gabriel Osho for the visit of Sheffield United. The 28-year-old Poland international, signed from West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, played until the 90th minute, when the debutant limped off and Calum Scanlon came on in his place in front of a 21,036 crowd, with the game finishing 2-2. The club's report put no cause on the change, and with Barry-Murphy noting beforehand how little football Bielik had played, the first fitness update to look for comes ahead of Wednesday's trip to QPR.
The debut in numbers
Ninety minutes at centre-back beside Gabriel Osho. Nine duels won, the most of any Cardiff player on the day. Two tackles, two shots, one dribble completed, and a 6.7 rating in a game his side ended with 67 per cent of the ball and 28 shots to Sheffield United's six. The defensive shift reads well too: the visitors put four shots on target and only four attempts inside the box all afternoon, both goals arriving in the opening seven minutes before Bielik and the back line shut the door. He came off in the 90th minute, limping, with Calum Scanlon replacing him; the club put no cause on the change.
Brian Barry-Murphy did not hide his verdict afterwards. "I thought he had a great debut, really good through the game," the Cardiff manager said. "He's not played a lot, so probably would have been feeling the pace of the game, but in the second half I thought he showed his real quality and calmness and composure."
Who Cardiff have signed
Bielik arrives with 11 Poland caps and close to 150 Championship appearances built across four years at Derby County, four seasons at Birmingham City and a spell at West Brom, having started out in the Legia Warsaw academy before joining Arsenal as a teenager. Cardiff's fourth signing of the summer, after Nathan Trott, Jack Moylan and Calum Scanlon, can play in defence or midfield. "I'm very excited, I'm finally here and I couldn't be happier," Bielik told Cardiff City TV on arrival. "I'm looking forward to starting with the team as soon as possible." That wish took 72 hours.