The second match in Group C forms the third of four fixtures at the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Tuesday as Mexico and Poland get their campaigns underway in what is a key clash for both sides in the Qatar capital of Doha.
Both these teams will know they have Argentina to come in the tournament so this feels like a big game for each of them and potentially the one which will define whether they make the knockout stages or not.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the BBC 1 channel in the UK with the build-up in Doha beginning at 3.30pm ahead of a 4pm kick off.
Mexico
It will be interesting to see how Mexico go in this tournament. Usually they arrive at a World Cup as the top dogs in the CONCACAF region and ready to deliver their Latin flair on the competition but this time around they are not Gold Cup winners and have been able to fly under the radar a little. They co-host the tournament in four years so it will be interesting to see if they are here to give the best account of themselves in the here and now or whether they already have an eye on peaking in 2026.
Mexico are known for their flair but they have never been the heaviest of scorers of goals and that will be their issue in this tournament. If they can be clinical then you sense they could have a decent run but if they struggle for goals it could be their undoing. The one thing we do know about Mexico is they will be technically proficient and there hasn’t been a Tata Martino side which hasn’t had a high intensity so that is a given.
Poland
You sense this is a big tournament for Poland. It is highly likely to be the last time arguably their greatest player Robert Lewandowski graces any stage like this with his country and with it therefore it might be their best chance for a decent run at one of these things. They will have to buck a trend if they are going to deliver that though because their record in this tournaments leaves plenty to be desired which creates one or two doubts over them.
You couldn’t exactly say Poland are going into the competitive in unbelievable form either. They had to go through the play-offs to qualify for it and were beneficiaries of Russia being dumped out in their section which meant they only needed to beat Sweden to get here. Their Nations League campaign was fairly flat too. Poland also struggle for goals on the big stage and unlike Mexico they lack the technical flair to assist them.
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Team News
Raul Jimenez did play a part in a friendly for Mexico last week but he is unlikely to be risked from the start here. Jesus Corona was ruled out of the tournament recently so Hirving Lozano is likely to carry the Mexican hopes.
Robert Lewansowski sat out the win over Chile in a friendly last week but he is expected to return to spearhead the Poland attack. Czesław Michniewicz will have decisions to make over the makeup of his midfield.
Betting
I think this match is all about Mexico. If they have a clinical edge to them in front of goal then I expect them to win this one because their technical flair and skill should be too much for a Poland side who threaten to offer a lot more than they actually deliver. They carry a threat with Robert Lewandowski but you would imagine the Mexico defence and sitting midfielder will crowd out the chances of the ball coming to him.
Mexico play with a press and an intensity and we’ve seen a few teams get caught cold in this tournament already and I wouldn’t be surprised if Poland are the latest to come unstuck at the start. The one thing Mexico are good at is playing with a lead because their passing and movement is so strong. Poland are one of the sides I wanted to be against in this tournament and I’m happy to get behind Mexico but given the result of the earlier game I think we need to take the draw out of the equation.
Tips
Back Mexico (0AH) to beat Poland for a 3/10 stake at 1.74 with William Hill
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