Poland will be up against the Netherlands in the Group D opener on Sunday, with both teams looking to kick off their campaigns on a high.
Netherlands will be the favourites heading into the contest vs Poland, and they will be determined to start the tournament with a positive performance. The Oranje were quite impressive in the qualifiers, and they will look to translate that form into the main event now.
On the other hand, Poland were quite mediocre in the playoffs, and they were lucky to make it to the finals. It will be interesting to see if they can pull off a few upsets in Germany this summer.
Group D is a tricky one with France and Austria, and there is no margin for error. A disappointing start to the tournament could make life difficult for both teams, and they will be desperate for all three points. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the clash between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Poland
The Eagles will be without star striker Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik because of their respective injuries. Lewandowski is expected to return for the next match, but Milik is ruled out of the tournament.
Poland will shape up in a 3-1-5-1 formation vs the Netherlands, with Wojciech Szczesny goal. In the back three, Jan Bednarek will start alongside Pawel Dawidowicz and Jakub Kiwior. Przemyslaw Frankowski and Nicola Zalewski will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
Bartosz Slisz will start as the defensive midfielder here, and he will look to protect the back three and break up opposition attacks. Jakub Piotrowski will start alongside Piotr Zielinski in the middle of the park, and they will look to add creativity and control to the side.
Sebastian Szymanski will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to link up with Karol Swiderski in the attack and create goalscoring opportunities.
Probable Lineup (3-1-5-1): Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Slisz; Frankowski, Zielinski, Piotrowski, Szymanski, Zalewski; Swiderski
Netherlands
The Oranje have travelled to Frenkie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners, and Marten De Roon. The Netherlands are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Poland, with Bart Verbruggen in goal.
Denzel Dumfries and Nathan Ake are likely to be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and assist during attacking transitions. Virgil van Dijk will start at the heart of the defence alongside Micky van de Ven.
As for the midfield unit, Schouten will start alongside Joey Veerman in the double pivot. They will look to provide defensive cover to the side and win the ball back for their team. Tijjani Reijnders will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third.
Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo will start in the wide areas. They will look to add goals and creativity to the side. Finally, Memphis Depay will lead the line for the Netherlands vs Poland.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Dumfries, van Dijk, van de Ven, Ake; Schouten, Veerman; Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo; Depay
Key Stats
- Poland are unbeaten in the last six matches in all competitions.
- Netherlands are unbeaten in five of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Poland have won just two of 14 matches at the Euros.
- Poland are winless in 12 games against the Netherlands since 1979.
Player to Watch
Memphis Depay
In the absence of a reliable goalscorer, Depay will be expected to step up and deliver for his country here. He is capable of scoring goals and creating opportunities for his teammates as well.
It will be interesting to see if he can reprise the role of centre forward and make a difference for the Netherlands in the final third. The experienced Dutchman is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands, and he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Poland 0-2 Netherlands
Poland are without two of their best attackers, and they will struggle to break down the Netherlands defence here. On the other hand, the Netherlands have travelled to Germany without their first-choice midfield.
On paper, the Dutch are far better, and they should be able to grind out a comfortable victory here. Despite their injury problems, they have enough strength in depth to start the tournament on a winning note. An away win is very much on the cards here.
