Sports Mole preview Tuesday’s Nations League clash between Poland and Belgium, including predictions, team news and possible line-ups.
Belgium will bid to make it back to back UEFA Nations League victories over Poland when the two teams lock horns in Warsaw on Tuesday night.
The Red Devils emerged 6-1 winners in their 8 June clash, but both sides have four points from their first three games in Group 4 of League A.
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Poland started the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League season with a 2-1 win over Wales on 1 June before suffering a 6-1 defeat by Belgium in the second game of the group a week later.
The two sides were actually level at half-time, but Belgium took a 2-1 lead just before the hour and scored four more goals in the last 17 minutes of the clash in Brussels.
Poland, currently third in Group 4 of League A on four points, three points behind leaders Netherlands, played in a 2-2 draw Louis van Gaalwith a two-goal lead on Saturday before being forced to rest on points.
goals off Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski helped the Eagles to a 2-0 win over Sweden in their World Cup playoffs in late March, with the team reaching the finals of that year’s competition, but they failed to make it through the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.
Czeslaw MichniewiczThe side will face Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina in the group stage of the World Cup and while they are keen to impress in the UEFA Nations League, the team will be primarily focused on the competition which begins in November.
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Belgium, on the other hand, opened their League A Group 4 on 3 June with a 4-1 home defeat by the Netherlands, while Van Gaal’s side had previously led 4-0 Michy Batshuayi billed late.
Robert MartinezThe EURO squad bounced back after beating Poland 6-1 on 8 June, but only managed to draw 1-1 against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday night Brennan Johnson Delay for the home side afterwards Youri Tielemans had made the breakthrough in the 51st minute.
Like Poland, Belgium have taken four points from their three games in the group and sit second, three points behind the Netherlands. They will return to the UEFA Nations League in September, taking on Wales and the Netherlands later in the month.
The Red Devils finished first in Group 2 of League A in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League and reached the semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 to France before suffering a 2-1 defeat in the third-place play-off suffered against Italy.
Martinez’s side will also be present at the 2022 World Cup and after finishing third at the 2018 edition of the tournament, they expect to go deep into the competition, but at Euro 2020 they failed to make a serious impression and left ins From Italy in the quarterfinals.
Form of the Poland Nations League:
Poland form (all competitions):
Form of the Belgian Nations League:
Belgium form (all competitions):
Team News
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Lewandowski was not involved in Poland’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Saturday, but the Bayern striker is expected to be back in the starting XI for the game.
Head coach Michniewicz is unlikely to make any major changes compared to the squad that started against Van Gaal’s side, however Szymon Zurkowski could be in midfield.
Kamil Glik and Wojciech Szczesny Poland are also expected to be back in the starting XI as Poland look to take seven points from their opening four games in the group.
Belgium, meanwhile, have not reported any injury problems in their draw against Wales on Saturday, but Martinez has revealed three players will not be involved in the game.
As a matter of fact, Kevin De Bruyne, Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Meier will not make the trip to Poland, although there are doubts about the participation Dedryck Boyata and Axel Witzel.
Thorgan Hazard, Eden Hazard, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld will probably all be in the starting XI Dennis Praet and Hans Vanaken could also be passed points in the page.
Poland possible starting line-up:
Szczesny; Cash, Bednarek, Glik, B. Bereszynski; Krychowiak, Zurkowski; Frankowski, Zielinski, Zalewski; Lewandowski
Belgium possible starting line-up:
Crate; Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Dendoncker; Vanaken, Saelemakers, Tielemans, T. Hazard; Praet, Batshuayi, E Hazard
We say: Poland 1:1 Belgium
Poland will be determined to take revenge after a difficult first-leg defeat by Belgium, but we find it difficult to separate the two sides here. A point wouldn’t be the worst result for either side and a close clash on Tuesday night could end in a shared loot.
For a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, goal scores and more for this game, please click here.
top tip
Our expert Tipster partners at Sporita.com predict an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they predict for this game and for more of their tried and true football tips.Away win: data