Friday’s encounter between Portugal and Poland could be a defining moment in Group A1, with both teams vying for qualification. Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad leads the standings and can secure their spot in the quarterfinals with a draw, while Poland are in a must-win situation to keep their hopes alive. Unfortunately for the Polish side, they will have to face one of Europe’s top teams without their star forward, Robert Lewandowski.
Lewandowski was ruled out of the international break due to a back injury sustained during Barcelona’s 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad last Sunday in La Liga. Although the striker completed the match, the issue has sidelined him for Poland’s upcoming fixtures, including the crucial clash with Portugal and the following match against Scotland on Monday.
The absence of Lewandowski is a significant setback for head coach Michal Probierz, who now faces the difficult task of finding a suitable replacement for his best player. The veteran striker’s leadership and goal-scoring ability will undoubtedly be missed in Poland’s attempt to secure qualification from a tough group.
Poland’s starting lineup
Despite the setback, head coach Michal Probierz will aim to field a competitive squad against Portugal. Poland’s starting lineup for Friday’s match is: Marcin Bulka; Kamil Piatkowski, Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior; Bartosz Bereszynski, Sebastian Szymanski, Taras Romanczuk, Nicola Zalewski, Piotr Zielinski; Krzysztof Piatek, Kacper Urbanski.
Piotr Zielinski of Poland celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the international friendly match between Poland and Ukraine at Stadion Narodowy on June 07, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland.
Poland’s path to qualification
With only 4 points from a possible 16, Poland’s position in the group is precarious. They still have a slim chance of advancing to the quarterfinals, but it’s a do-or-die situation. Only the top two teams from each group will qualify, meaning Poland must either surpass Portugal or Croatia, who currently occupy those spots.
Portugal lead the group with 10 points, and a draw on Friday would be enough to secure their progression to the next stage. Poland, on the other hand, need a victory to keep their hopes alive. Croatia, sitting in second with 7 points, will face Scotland, the group’s weakest team, and are heavy favorites to claim another three points. If Croatia win, Poland’s path to the next stage becomes even more difficult.
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What happens if Poland don’t win?
If Poland fail to beat Portugal on Friday, their chances of advancing to the next round could come to an end, depending on the result of the Scotland vs. Croatia match. In such a scenario, they would be left to focus on avoiding relegation to the second-tier competition.
The bottom team in each group will automatically drop to League B, while the second-to-last team will enter a playoff against other third-placed teams to determine who stays in the top tier. To avoid this fate, Poland must do their best against Portugal and prepare for a final showdown with Scotland next Monday.
