European Championship Qualification: Wales vs Poland

March 26, 2024

Wales will face Poland in a crucial Euro 2024 play-off final on Tuesday, March 26, at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Wales and Poland are 90 minutes away from reaching Euro 2024, after crushing their opponents in the semi-final play-offs on Thursday night.

The Dragons claimed a 4-1 victory over Finland at Cardiff City Stadium, whereas Poland's progress was never questioned during their 5-1 trashing of Estonia.

Poland have the better of the recent history between the sides, securing home and away victories during the latest UEFA Nations League group stages.

All in all, Poland are on a six-match winning streak over Wales in the 21^st century, with the Dragons last holding Poland to a goalless draw in the World Cup qualifiers in October 2000.

With that said, Wales will be looking to claim their first win over the Poles since March 1973, when they earned a 2-0 victory

Wales Betting Preview (+160 at Everygame)

Rob Page’s side will be eager to ride on the momentum of the Euro 2024 play-off semi-final win over Finland when they take on Poland on Tuesday evening.

The Dragons have made significant strides in soccer in recent years and have shown themselves to be a competitive team on the international stage. While not traditionally considered a continental powerhouse, Wales have seen a resurgence in their footballing fortunes, particularly highlighted by the unforgettable performance in the UEFA European Championship.

While Wales may not consistently rank among the top teams in international football, their success in Euro 2016 and continued competitiveness in qualifiers and other tournaments highlight their strength and potential within the sport.

Wales' greatest ever football accomplishment in the UEFA European Championship is reaching the semifinals of Euro 2016.

In that tournament, held in France, Wales, led by manager Chris Coleman and inspired by star players Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale, embarked on a memorable run. They topped their group, defeating Slovakia and Russia and drawing with rivals England.

In the knockout phase, Wales defeated Northern Ireland in the Round of 16 and Belgium in the quarterfinals. Their journey ended in the semifinals with a defeat to eventual champions Portugal.

Nevertheless, their semifinal appearance was a historic achievement for Welsh football, marking their best performance at a major international tournament.

Veteran Aaron Ramsey was not risked after only recently making his return from long-term absence at club level and seems unlikely to start against Poland, given the extent of his issues of late.

Ethan Ampadu and Daniel James both marked their 50^th international caps for Wales and the latter even scored his seventh goal. Introduced as a second-half substitute, James embraced an opportunity to seize the ball from a dawdling Finland defender Miro Tenho to score his seventh international goal.

With that said, Dan James could be pushing for a start on the wing but not too many changes, if any at all, are expected from Page at this stage.

But who can possibly make way for Dan James? David Brooks was another Wales player who enjoyed a memorable performance against Finland as he scored and assisted, whereas Brennan Johnson was a crucial part of that front-three pendulum.

He might have not scored but Harry Wilson was the star player for Wales as the Fulham man orchestrated the attack expertly. That happened hours before his 27^th birthday and the Wales winger should once again play a pivotal role against Poland.

Poland Betting Preview (+200 at Everygame)

Poland continued their bid to qualify for the European Championship as Micha? Probierz's side made light work of Estonia in Warsaw last week, running out 5-1 winners to tee up a showdown in the Welsh capital for a spot at this summer’s tournament in Germany.

The Poles remain unbeaten under Micha? Probierz, but the truth is that all three wins were against minnows such as the Faroe Islands, Latvia and Estonia, while the draws were against Moldova and the Czech Republic (both at home).

Michal Probierz was appointed as Poland national team head coach in September, following the dismissal of experienced Fernando Santos.

Poland's greatest ever football accomplishment in the UEFA European Championship is finishing in third place in the 1982 edition held in West Germany.

In that tournament, Poland, led by coach Antoni Piechniczek and featuring stars like Zbigniew Boniek, reached the semifinals where they were defeated by the eventual champions, West Germany. However, they secured third place by defeating France 3-2 in the third-place playoff match. This remains Poland's best performance in the European Championship to date.

Whereas Zielinski's contract expires and he's expected to leave Napoli this summer, Jakub Piotrowski is one of the Polish players who elevate their value with his influence for the Bulgarian champions. Piotrowski finally made his national team debut under Probierz in October and already boasts two goals and one assist in just four international appearances.

Atlanta United's Bartosz Slisz could start in midfield alongside playmaker Piotr Zielinski and Ludogorets Razgrad’s Jakub Piotrowski, while Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is expected to lead the line.

If Poland once again fields a 3-5-2 formation, Karol Swiderski, Adam Buksa and Krzysztof Piatek are jostling to feature with Lewandowski.

Possible Starting Lineups of Wales and Poland

Wales: Danny Ward - Ben Davies, Chris Mepham, Joe Rodon - Neco Williams, Ethan Ampadu, Jordan James, Connor Roberts - David Brooks, Harry Wilson - Brennan Johnson. (3-4-2-1)

Poland: Wojciech Szczesny - Jakub Kiwior, Jan Bednarek, Pawe? Dawidowicz - Nicola Zalewski, Jakub Piotrowski, Bartosz Slisz, Piotr Zielinski, Przemys?aw Frankowski - Karol Swiderski, Robert Lewandwoski. (3-5-2)

Spooky Express Betting Prediction

There is no room for experiments with a Euro 2024 spot at stake. Both coaches would field their best players and we expect both teams to score in Cardiff, while the final outcome is really unpredictable to be honest.

Spooky Express Free Play: Both teams to score - Yes +105 at Everygame for 5/10 Units

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