Poland 2-2 Iceland
In a final warm-up before the Euros, Poland had to work hard to earn a 2-2 draw with Iceland, who almost gave them a terrible chill until Karol Swiderski scored an 88th minute equaliser for the hosts.
In Poland’s recent defeat to England a number of key players were missing through COVID, or injury in the case of Robert Lewandowski, but head coach Paulo Sousa has his squad in good shape as Euro 2020 approaches; though International Friendly: Poland vs Iceland turned out to be a hard workout.
The visitors took the lead, against the run of play, through Albert Gudmundsson and Piotr Zielinski equalised before the break. Birkir Bjarneson scored a beauty to restore Iceland’s lead and though Poland continued to attack they couldn’t find a way past Iceland’s second half keeper, Ogmundur Kristinsson, until Swiderski scored his last gasp leveller.
Highlights of the game
The big pre-match Poland vs Iceland news was that Lewandowski was making a start alongside Jakub Swierczok who scored in the 1-1 draw with Russia last week. And there was a raucous 20,000 crowd in the Poznan Stadium making quite a noise as Poland set about their visitors, Lewandowski testing Iceland keeper Runar Runarsson with an early cross shot.
The hosts cranked up the pressure and Przemyslaw Frankowski delivered a low cross in which Lewandowski picked up and slid the ball back to Jakub Moder. The midfield man hit his shot sweetly but Runarsson saved. But then, while they pressed for the opener, Poland were caught out at the back and went behind, on 25 minutes. The Icemen won a corner which was swung in low, Gunnarsson got a flick and Albert Gudmundsson poked the ball home. The flag went up for offside but, after a long VAR deliberation, the goal stood as Zielinski was playing the striker onside.
Poland were level ten minutes later and it was Lewandowski who started the move, making a surging run forward before passing to Zielinski. He spread the ball to the left flank and when it was returned as a low cross the Napoli man was there to slot home his seventh international goal; a great way to make amends for his role in Iceland’s opener.
If anyone thought Poland would just sweep Iceland away in the second period were quickly proved wrong when the visitors went ahead again, and this time in spectacular fashion. Once more it was a set piece, swung over from the left and Bjarnason took a touch before volleying it high into the net beyond the reach of Wojciech Szczesny.
Iceland changed their keeper at half time and the incoming Kristinsson was in the action straight away. First he made a brilliant save to deny Swierczok and then he dived bravely at the feet of Lewandowski, an effort which left him in some pain.
He recovered, thankfully for Iceland, and was on hand again to block a header from Przemyslaw Placheta after he met a brilliant ball from Lewandowski. Kacper Koslwoski came close to grabbing an equaliser for Poland when he met a cross with a powerful header but with the crowd on its feet the ball flashed inches wide of the post.
The equaliser finally came, with just two minutes remaining, when Koslwoski crossed and Swiderski kept his cool to bring the ball down and shoot low into the corner.
Key statistics
The pre-match Poland vs Iceland betting odds pitched the draw at odds of 3.69, and though Poland had almost 75 per cent of the possession, Iceland were happy to sit back and take their chances when they came, and that very nearly worked.
The hosts have been impressive at home recently, losing just one in eight, and while Iceland have lost five of their last eight games on the road, they are improving. with just a single defeat in the last four.
What’s next?
Having failed to qualify for Euro 2020 the Icemen can have a few weeks off but it’s all steam ahead for the Poles, who start their Group E campaign with a match against Slovakia next Monday June 14th. Then Sousa’s men face tournament hopefuls Spain in their second match, before they finish with what could turn out to be a battle for second place with Sweden.
Here at SBOTOP we reckon Lewandowski will improve on his tournament record of two goals in 11 appearances, and he’ll be itching to open his account early, so Slovakia better watch out.
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