Poland
Portugal
Poland still don't look convincing following their poor showing at the Euros having limped past a poor Scotland outfit before being dominated by Croatia. They're also winless against Portugal in all of the last five head-to-head meetings between the two teams.
Over 2.5 goals have been scored in four of Poland's last five games and both of Portugal's last two, so we expect this one to throw up a few goals, with the visitors coming out on top. Poland 1-3 Portugal.
Poland take on Portugal in the UEFA Nations League this weekend, with the visitors looking to take one step towards the finals of the competition.
Poland’s recent performances in international football, mainly at major tournaments, have left much to be desired, especially considering the talent that the team has at its disposal. In their last two major tournaments, they’ve struggled to live up to expectations, with the 2022 World Cup campaign ending in disappointment, as did their efforts at Euro 2024, where they exited in the group stages. Despite these setbacks, the Polish Football Association has placed faith in manager Michał Probierz, who was promoted from the U21 setup following a poor start to Euro 2024 qualifying, allowing him to continue leading the team following the sacking of his predecessor Fernando Santos.
Probierz is a manager who is now fully aware of the challenges facing this Polish side, and while Santos’ sacking reflected the frustration felt in Poland after another lacklustre tournament in Qatar, Probierz has been granted time to craft a new identity for the team. Now, the inexperienced boss must revitalise a squad that has failed to translate its individual quality into team success. The presence of Robert Lewandowski, the nation's most iconic player, continues to be central to Poland’s plans, but at the age of 36, he cannot be expected to carry the kind of attacking burden he once could, despite the exceptionally high level he still operates at.
One intriguing addition to the squad is 19-year-old Maximillian Oyedele. Born and raised in Salford, Oyedele came through Manchester United’s academy before signing with Legia Warsaw in the summer. Since then, the midfielder has made a solid start to life in senior football and has now earned his first senior call-up to the national team. Poland’s decision to introduce a young, but very inexperienced, talent like Oyedele at this stage reflects their desire to rebuild and inject fresh energy into their squad, something that is much needed.
Despite their poor tournament showings of late, there is still reason for cautious optimism surrounding the Polish squad. The talent within the side is still high, even if many of the core are ageing or have already aged out, and if Probierz can mould the team into a cohesive unit, there’s potential for them to have a relatively successful World Cup.
For Portugal, the Nations League represents an opportunity to get back on track after a deeply frustrating Euro 2024 campaign. Coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, Portugal’s performance fell far below expectations, with Roberto Martínez’s side appearing uninspired and struggling to impose themselves, eventually being eliminated in the quarter-finals by France after a 0-0 draw and a subsequent penalty shootout. While reaching the quarter-finals might not seem like a disaster for many teams, the manner of Portugal’s performances, particularly their lack of creativity and attacking spark, made them one of the major disappointments.
Much of the discourse around the national team continues to centre around the role of Cristiano Ronaldo. Now 39 years old, Ronaldo’s status as one of the greatest players in the history of the game is undisputed, but his influence on the current Portuguese squad is increasingly divisive. On the one hand, Ronaldo continues to score at a consistent rate, which speaks to his remarkable longevity, but on the other hand, there is a growing argument that his presence in the team may be hindering the team's progression and growth beyond him. Ronaldo’s ageing legs and reduced mobility have been seen by some as a limiting factor in a team that possesses several dynamic, young attackers, and he failed to register a single goal at Euro 2024, with many of his goals at international level now coming in Portugal's "easier" games.
Manager Roberto Martínez has also come under much criticism for his failure to mould this Portugal side into an exciting attacking unit. Martínez, a manager who has often been associated with proactive, possession-based football, seemed to eschew all the principles that made his side so impressive in Euro 2024 qualifying, opting to use a different system on the eve of the tournament that seems to neutralise many of their strengths.
His start to the Nations League campaign has been positive, and this competition offers him the chance to show why he's the man to lead Portugal to a second major international trophy.
Poland Team News:
Robert Lewandowski will once again lead the line for Poland in what will be his 155th cap for the Eastern Europeans.
Wojciech Szczęsny is no longer available for selection having retired from international duty, so Łukasz Skorupski should continue in between the sticks.
Predicted lineup: Skorupski; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski, Szymański, Zieliński, Urbański, Zalewski; Piątek, Lewandowski.
Portugal Team News:
Chelsea's Renato Veiga will be hoping to earn a first cap for the senior side after a strong start to his career in England.
Portugal have no injury absentees coming into this game and will likely start the game with the same XI that started against Croatia.
Predicted lineup: Costa; Dalot, Dias, Inácio, Mendes; Silva, Vitinha, Fernandes; Neto, Ronaldo, Leão.
Poland are coming into this game fairly out of form with only one win from their last five games. The Poles faced off against Croatia most recently and fell to a 1-0 loss by way of a Luka Modrić goal in what was a pretty dominant performance from the home side.
That result followed a hugely exciting encounter that saw Poland beat Scotland in a five-goal thriller. Goals from Sebastien Szymánski and Robert Lewandowski put Poland 2-0 up in the first half but the Scots fought their way back into the game in the second 45, levelling the scores at 2-2. However, Poland were awarded a penalty in the 97th minute, an opportunity Nicola Zalewski duly converted to win the game 3-2.
Prior to that, Poland drew 1-1 with France, lost 1-3 to Austria and lost 1-2 to the Netherlands.
Portugal's form is solid, with Roberton Martínez's men having won three of their last five games. Their latest victory came in the shape of a 2-1 win over Scotland, where late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo secured a late comeback, a result that was preceded by a 2-1 win over Croatia courtesy of Diogo Dalot and Ronaldo.
Before that, Portugal lost to France on penalties in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 following a 0-0 draw, which came after a penalty shootout win over Slovenia and a 2-0 loss to Georgia.
Nations League - League A - Group 1 | Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Portugal | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +8 | 14 | |
| 2 |  Croatia | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| 3 |  Scotland | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 7 | |
| 4 |  Poland | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -7 | 4 | |
| Last updated 22/12/2024 | ||||||||
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