EURO 2021 analysis: Poland can go far at the championship

Along with Austria, Slovakia and Germany, the Czech Republic’s fourth neighbour, Poland, also qualified for the Euros. It is considered one of the unlikely favourites for the tournament, along with Denmark and Sweden.

Goalkeepers: Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna)

In goal, our neighbours have one of the best pairings. Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski are both regular captains for their clubs and both will play in European Cups next season. The Juventus goalkeeper will be the number one.

Defenders: Jan Bednarek (Southampton), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Paweł Dawidowicz (Verona), Kamil Glik (Benevento), Michał Helik (Barnsley), Tomasz Kedziora (Dynamo Kyiv), Kamil Piątkowski (Rakow Czestochowa), Tymoteusz Puchacz (Lech Poznan), Maciej Rybus (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Coach Paulo Sousa prefers a three-stopper system, i.e. a modern 3-4-3. Recently, the Portuguese strategist has opted for a two striker formation (3-4-1-2).

Kamil Glik and Jan Bednarek are the mainstays at the stopper positions. The former gained a lot of experience in the Champions League, in which he reached the semi-finals with Monaco five years ago, while the latter is a regular in the Premier League, the best league in the world.

The third place in the line-up is likely to be occupied by Michal Helik. The burly stopper had a literally fabulous year at Barnsley, making it all the way to the Premier League play-offs with them. Kamil Piątkowski, the Salzburg signing, also has a chance to make the starting line-up.

As far as wing-backs are concerned, Bartosz Bereszynski, who is a regular at Sampdoria Genoa, is the first choice on the right. The other side is manned by Meciej Rybus, an experienced Lokomotiv Moscow defender.

Midfielders: Przemysław Frankowski (Chicago Fire), Kamil Jozwiak (Derby), Mateusz Klich (Leeds), Kacper Kozlowski (Pogoń Szczecin), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Lokomotiv Moscow), Karol Linetty (Torino), Jakub Moder (Brighton), Przemysław Płacheta (Norwich), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli)

We move to the centre of midfield, where a trio consisting of two experienced players and one youngster is the most common. As already mentioned, from time to time the midfield is only two-man, but that is not expected at the Euro given Robert Lewandowski’s recovery.

Grzegorz Krychowiak is an excellent shield midfielder, who has experience from his engagements at Sevilla or even PSG. Piotr Zielinski plays alongside him, but with more offensive responsibilities. He is considered one of the most underrated players in Serie A.

The central trio is rounded off by Jakub Moder, the aforementioned youngster who, at the age of 22, is gaining experience at Brighton in England. A solid alternative is Mateusz Klich from Leeds or Karol Linetty from FC Torino.

Forwards: Dawid Kownacki (Düsseldorf), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Arkadiusz Milik (Marseille), Karol Swiderski (PAOK), Jakub Swierczok (Piast Gliwice)

The head coach also has a lot to choose from in attack. Lewandowski probably doesn’t need to be written about, he should have won the Ballon d’Or last year (exceptionally it wasn’t awarded) and this year he has a decent chance to win it too. In the Bundesliga, he broke the record for most goals in one season, scoring an incredible forty.

Next to him, Arkadiusz Milik, also an experienced goalscorer, who spent this season in Marseille, is the most frequent player. Another option is David Kownacki, who kicked in the Bundesliga last season.

Key success factors: The performance of the wing-backs and Lewandowski’s goalscoring ability

If the Poles have a weakness anywhere, it’s at the wing-back positions. Rybus is past his best years and even Bereszynski is not among the best Serie A players in his position. So they have to commit to above-standard performances in the tournament.

It’s also clear that it won’t be possible without Lewandowski’s goals. The Bayern canon has netted five goals in his last six games for the national team. These have helped a lot to do well in the Nations League and in the World Cup qualifiers.

Prediction: Eight finals

Source: Transfermarkt