Germany vs Poland
The third and final match of a busy day of Euro2016 football on Thursday could actually be the best match of the lot as Germany take on Poland with guaranteed qualification from the group the reward for the winners.
Both teams won their opening matches so the winners of this one would sit on two wins from two and will be into the knockout stages and will most probably go on and win the group. It isn’t over for whoever loses. They’ll just need something from their final match to go through.
There were concerns about the world champions going into the tournament but they looked like one of the better teams in the opening round of matches. It should be said that they were allowed to look good at times but their better players looked in good touch and we know from experience that is very ominous where the Germans are concerned.
One of the concerns people had about them was over their defence and I don’t think those concerns would have disappeared based on their first game of the tournament. They looked very shaky at the back at times and that will be exploited more the further they go into the tournament.
Key Man
We picked Toni Kroos out as the danger man in the opening game for Germany and he had a blinding match. He is one of the best players in the world in the middle of the park and I don’t think he will have finished dazzling us just yet. Expect more from the Real Madrid man.
Some called Poland’s performance against Northern Ireland laboured and I can see what they mean but they were so in control of the match throughout the opening 70 minutes it was almost men against boys. The goal finally came and they held onto it pretty well but it goes without saying they have to improve here.
Robert Lewandowski was marked out of the match against Northern Ireland and if Poland are to triumph here you would think they will need to get him into better positions and give him better service than he got against the Northern Irish on Sunday.
Key Man
I’m going to be boring this time and take Robert Lewandowski. The thing about top class players is they don’t usually have two bad games back to back so I’m expecting a big performance from the best striker in the Bundesliga. He’ll know all about the opposition defenders and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gives them some serious trouble.
Team News
Mats Hummels missed the opening match of the tournament but he is expected to be fit to return for this one and if he is he is likely to replace the man who scored Germany’s first goal against Ukraine – Shkodran Mustafi. Mario Gomez could force his way into the side too.
Poland will be without the former Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny for this match after he picked up an injury late on against Northern Ireland. He will be replaced by the other former Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Head to Head
Germany have an amazing record against Poland. In the 20 previous matches they have had against them they have lost just one of them although they will know that came as recently as the qualifying campaign for this tournament. 13 of the previous 20 have been German wins and there have been six draws.
Betting
There is no love lost between these two that is for sure so we automatically know we’re going to get a competitive game and I think we’ll get an open match too. Germany like to play open football and why wouldn’t they with their attacking players but Poland have an air of confidence about them too which suggests they will have a good go here.
I think we saw in the opening match that Germany’s defence isn’t brilliant and while Hummels could come into the side Lewandowski will enjoy facing his former Borussia Dortmund teammate especially if the German centre half isn’t completely 100% fit.
Poland scored in both qualifying matches against Germany and they are now on a run of having failed to score in just one of their last 11 matches and while Germany have now kept back to back clean sheets they had conceded in their eight matches prior to that and we’re still wondering how they kept that clean sheet against Ukraine.
I think the potential for both sides to score with the way they play is quite large and I’m surprised it is as big as 10/11. I expect this round of matches to open up a bit from here on in and that can start with both sides finding the onion bag here.
Tips
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