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Poland European Championship Record
Did not qualify: 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
Group stage: 2008, 2012
Total: W0 D3 L3 3:7
Poland Euro 2021 Qualifying Record
W6 D3 L1 33:10
Poland Euro 2021 Group Fixtures
12th June @18:00 – Poland vs Northern Ireland (Allianz Riviera, Nice)
16th June @21:00 – Germany vs Poland (Stade de France, Paris)
21st June @18:00 – Ukraine vs Poland (Stade Velodrome, Marseille)
Road to Euro 2021
Poland were given a tough task in an attempt to reach the third straight European Championship finals, having been placed in the same group with World Cup holders Germany as well as Republic of Ireland and Scotland, but the White Eagles quickly proved their worth and showed they would be one of the main candidates for the first place in the group.
The 2-0 triumph over star-studded Germany side in their second game acted as a major confidence boost and the team never looked back, even if they only secured an automatic qualifying berth by defeating Republic of Ireland in the final fixture. Coach Adam Nawalka only struggled to find the preferred centre-back pairing, while other areas of the team underwent very few changes, with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Arkadiusz Milik and Kamil Grosicki scoring 23 goals between them.
Style of Play
National team coach Adam Nawalka is quite fortunate to have one of the most talented generations at his disposal, and he has done well to help them realise their full potential. Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is the number one player on the team sheet, and he is the driving force of this side, but we can safely say that Poland is not a one-man team.
The White Eagles usually line up either in 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation, where revived Jakub Blaszczykowski and in-form Kamil Grociski should occupy wing positions and the impressive Arkadiusz Milik will either play alongside Lewandowski up front or as a second striker. It is the Ajax striker that has the X factor and could have a key role to play in France, having seriously raised his game over the last year.
Poland are a side that is confident in possession, which is hardly surprising given the plethora of individual talent, although the lack of creativity in the middle of the park at times sees them struggle to unlock defence-minded sides. The White Eagles are very strong on the counter-attack, as witnessed by some excellent performances against top sides in their qualifying group, with 2-0 victory over Germany the perfect proof.
When playing for the national team, Robert Lewandowski is much more than just a target man, given that he frequently comes deep to get the ball and bring other teammates into play with what are usually quite useful passes. The red-hot striker has an excellent understanding with former Borussia Dortmund teammate Lukasz Piszczek, who makes plenty of forward runs to create an extra option down the right hand side.
But, with winger Maciej Rybus operating at left-back, full-back positions can prove to be a problem when Poland lose possession, although that is where Sevilla star Grzegorz Krychowiak steps in to help cover for the back four. With centre-back Kamil Glik scoring goals for fun, the White Eagles are a real danger at attacking set-pieces, but, on the other hand, they do not defend corners well. The fact that coach Adam Nawalka still hasn’t found a perfect defence partner for the Torino stopper is another potential issue.
Strong Points
- Individual quality
- Formidable attack
- Dangerous at set-pieces
- Lethal counter-attacks
- Not afraid to attack top sides
Weak Spots
- Lack of creativity in midfield
- Vulnerable at full-back positions
- Struggle when defending set-pieces
- May experience problems vs defence-minded sides
Poland Euro 2021 Starting Line-Up
Missing: Pawel Wszolek (injury)
Prediction
Poland were quite unfortunate to again be pitted against World Cup holders Germany, who rarely disappoint at major tournaments, while rock-solid Ukraine will also prove a tough nut to crack. Even so, the White Eagles have no reason to fear any opposition in Group C having proved they can match even the best sides in Europe, and we believe they will eventually secure progress to the first knockout stage.
With Northern Ireland arguably one of the weakest sides at the tournament finals, Poland should have no problems defeating Michael O’Neill’s side, whereas they are evenly matched with Ukraine and will need to be at their best if they want to avoid losing to Germany. The problem is that the White Eagles do not have worthy replacements for their star players, which could prove costly in the latter stages, but at least they should be able to get past the group stage for the first time in history.
IST Tip: Poland to qualify from Group C
Odds: 1.36 (4/11) @Ladbrokes
Interesting Markets
*Poland to finish third in Group C is 3.00 (2/1) @Winner
*Germany/Poland Group C straight forecast is 3.00 (2/1) @Ladbrokes
*Poland to be eliminated in Last 16 stage is 2.40 (7/5) @888sport
*Poland to win 4 points in group stage is 3.75 (11/4) @888sport
Last updated: 19th May 2016
