Prediction: Poland win
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The domestic season may be over but the summer has only just begun. Between the Summer Olympics and the Euros we ve got a whole lot to look forward to and as the countdown to kick-off for the latter continues, we thought we d take a look at a friendly game between two of the teams set to take part. Poland and Russia will both participate in this year s rescheduled European Championship and while they may be dark horses, underestimating them would be a huge mistake.
Poland
It feels like we ve been in the self-described golden generation of Polish football for a while now and even though that regularly comes down to their talisman, they do seem to have a solid overall squad to work with. However, when they make it all the way to the big dance, they struggle to make a good account of themselves which is what they ll be hoping to do in a winnable group with Slovakia, Spain and Sweden this summer.
Team News
Lewandowski isn t likely to play the full game but could get a 45-minute runout to ensure he stays fit before the tournament. Klich is tipped to start with Zielinski expected to drop out but outside of that, the team is hard to predict.
Russia
Russia went above and beyond the expectations of everyone at the 2018 FIFA World Cup but this time around, they don t have the hometown backing everywhere they go and that lack of a push could prove to be detrimental for them. After all, they re in a tough group with Belgium, Finland and Denmark that could quite easily see them crash out at the group stage if they aren t careful.
Team News
Sobolev is hopeful of starting in this one but as is the case for many nations heading into the Euros, they need to manage their resources. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and a lack of strength in depth is one of the main reasons why Russia are expected t struggle.
Factors to Consider
Poland begin their Euros campaign on July 14 against Slovakia, whereas Russia will meet Belgium on June 12.
Poland have won two, drawn one and lost three of their last six games.
Russia have won two, drawn one and lost three of their last six games.
Poland have scored 10 goals and conceded nine in their last six games.
Russia have scored eight goals and conceded 12 in their last six games.
Conclusion
Russia seem to know when to pick their moments with regards to securing big results, but we don t think a friendly such as this one will tell us all too much about their Euro 2020 aspirations. On the flip side, fixtures with no real stakes attached to them will suit the Poles, which is why we think they ll come out on top. It ll be a hard fought encounter as it always is, but Poland will get that momentum boost heading into the Euros.
Prediction: Poland win
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