UEFA EURO 2020 – Poland vs Slovakia Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When does Poland vs Slovakia kick off? Monday 14th June, 2021 – 17:00 (UK)
Where is Poland vs Slovakia being played? Saint-Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg
Where can I get tickets for Poland vs Slovakia? Click here for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Poland vs Slovakia on in the UK? ITV
Where can I stream Poland vs Slovakia in the UK? This match can be streamed live on the ITV Hub
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All matches: Poland 3 wins, Slovakia 4 wins, 1 draw
Last meeting: Poland 0-2 Slovakia (15/11/13)
THE LOWDOWN
POLAND
- EURO 2016 quarter-finalists Poland won eight of ten qualifying matches to top their group comfortably and secure a place at EURO 2020, where they will be hoping to go even further than they did five years ago.
- As always with this Polish side, their hopes rest largely on the shoulders of their one genuine world class player, with striker and Poland’s all-time record goalscorer Robert Lewandowski coming off the back of a 48-goal season for club side Bayern Munich and the 32-year-old skipper will be desperate to lead from the front by scoring the goals that take his country deep into the tournament.
- Unfortunately, head coach Paulo Sousa has been hit with a couple of injury blows heading into EURO 2020, with forwards Krzysztof Piatek and more recently Arkadiusz Milik both ruled out of the competition, leaving the pressure to score goals for Poland almost solely on Lewandowski’s shoulders if it wasn’t already.
SLOVAKIA
- Five years ago, Slovakia reached the knockout stages of EURO 2016, a fantastic achievement for a team expected to be eliminated in the group stage and fast forward five years, they’ll be looking to defy the odds once again after their dramatic play-off final triumph over Northern Ireland saw them qualify for a second successive European Championship.
- Since that incredible night in Belfast, Slovakia have lost just one of their last seven international matches played (including friendlies), however they only won two of those games although both victories were in competitive fixtures against Scotland and Russia respectively rather than just friendlies.
- Captain Marek Hamsik missed both of Slovakia’s warm up friendlies due to a calf injury and it goes without saying that his fitness could prove absolutely crucial to their chances both in this match and beyond as head coach Stefan Tarkovic can ill afford to be without his experienced talisman.
THE TEAM NEWS
POLAND
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Szczesny; Piatkowski, Glik, Bednarek, Bereszynski; Krychowiak, Klich, Zielinski, Puchacz; Jozwiak, Lewandowski
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
SLOVAKIA
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Dubravka; Pekarik, Satka, Skriniar, Hubocan; Kucka, Hromada; Haraslin, Hamsik, Mak; Duda
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE: Hamsik (Injured)
THE KEY STATS
- Poland have drawn six of their last ten EURO final tournament matches – Draw
- There have not been more than two goals scored in any of Poland’s previous 11 EURO final tournament matches – Under 2.5 goals
- Poland have scored the first goal in four of their last five EURO final tournament matches – Poland to score first
- Slovakia have only failed to score in one of their last seven matches against Poland – Slovakia to score
- Poland have not conceded more than one goal in a EURO final tournament match since their finals debut against Germany in 2008 – Slovakia to score under 1.5 goals
THE PREDICTION
Injury concerns over Slovakia captain Hamsik threaten to overshadow the start of their tournament when considering how important he is to their hopes of progression and it cannot be ruled out that this has had a severely detrimental effect on Tarkovic’s preparations for this match. Poland meanwhile, will know that victory here is absolutely vital in the context of their knockout stage qualification hopes with Spain their next Group E opponents following this contest. Slovakia have proven themselves as a tough side to beat in recent games and they won’t be easy to break down, even with Sousa’s side expected to dominate possession and dictate the tempo of this fixture. However, the presence of Lewandowski cannot be ignored and a striker of his sheer quality should be able to unlock this Slovakian defence and ultimately lead Poland to a first victory of EURO 2020.
Tip: POLAND TO WIN
For fixtures, results, TV schedule, top scorers and plenty more, visit our tournament home page here!
