When Poland face Georgia tomorrow, they will desperate to show that their shock win over Germany in Euro 2016 qualifying Group D was no fluke, as their fans dream of a new era of international success.
Victory over the world champions raised expectations in a country wanting to end years of massive underachievement after finishing third in the 1974 and 1982 FIFA World Cups.
Generations of leading Polish players, including Zbigniew Boniek, Jan Tomaszewski, Grzegorz Lato and Kazimierz Deyna, never tasted victory over Germany. Yet just months after the Mannschaft won the World Cup in Brazil this year, Poland inflicted their first defeat in the opening qualifying match for a major tournament since 1998.
Photo: AFP
Many Poland fans returned home from Warsaw’s National Stadium in absolute silence, stunned by their first win over a major soccer power since beating Portugal during qualifying for Euro 2008.
The White Eagles failed to reach the 2010 and 2014 World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, and were knocked out in the group stage of Euro 2012, which they cohosted with Ukraine. However, coach Adam Nawalka now has a squad full of big-name players at major European clubs.
Striker Robert Lewandowski is at Bayern Munich, Wojciech Szczesny is Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper, Grzegorz Krychowiak is a regular for Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek is second in the standings for UEFA Champions League assists this season.
Nawalka has a strong nucleus to his squad and the atmosphere within the group is as good as it has ever been.
“The win over Germany raised [the] expectations of all,” former Poland defender Michal Zewlakow said. “Now people await more wins. They want to see that beating Germany was not a coincidence.”
Poland have played only one match in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, losing 3-0 in qualifying for the 1998 European Championship. They lead Group D after three games with seven points, ahead of Ireland on goal-difference.
Elsewhere in the wildly unpredictable Euro 2016 qualifiers, surprise packages Iceland, Northern Ireland and Slovakia will all attempt to chalk up their fourth straight wins over the weekend.
Iceland, who have scored eight goals without conceding in Group A, travel to Plzen, hoping to add the Czech Republic to their list of scalps after notching improbable wins over Turkey, Latvia and the Netherlands.
Northern Ireland, who sit proudly on top of Group F after wins over Hungary, the Faroe Islands and Greece, visit Romania, while Group B leaders Slovakia, who have already beaten Spain, travel to Macedonia.
With just 23 out of the 53 teams competing joining hosts France at the Euro 2016, the qualifiers kicked off in September amid concerns they would be little more than a tedious formality for the traditional powers of European soccer.
Instead, the likes of Germany, Spain and the Netherlands seem to have been lulled into a false sense of security, while the greater number of places up for grabs may have inspired hope in the 26 teams who have never qualified before.
Aside from Germany’s shock loss to Poland, other upsets included Albania’s win in Portugal and previously goal-shy Cyprus coming from behind to win 2-1 against Bosnia Herzegovina.
The Czech side are determined to avoid being on the wrong end of another upset on Sunday against Iceland, who emerged with a 2-1 win when they last met in 2001.
The Romanian squad have not played at a major finals since Euro 2008, while Northern Ireland have been absent since the 1986 World Cup, when they twice beat Romania in the qualifying campaign.
Group C leaders Slovakia start as strong favorites to continue their run in Macedonia on Saturday, having not lost once in six previous meetings.
Spain, who have six points, look to have an easy task at home to Belarus, while Azerbaijan are at home to Norway in Group H on Sunday.
Arguably the most attractive match is between Italy, enjoying a new lease of life under Antonio Conte, and Croatia, who clash on Sunday in Milan after each winning their first three games in Group H. England are also hoping to make it four out of four when they host Slovenia in Group E on Saturday.
The struggling giants all seem to have straightforward matches: Germany, with only four points in Group D, are at home to newcomers Gibraltar tomorrow; while the Oranje, who have lost two out of three games in Group A, host Latvia on Sunday and Greece, with only one point in Group F, face the Faroe Islands.
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