Poland 2-2 Nigeria: Plenty of questions remain over Poland defensively, but pride salvaged by Wiśniewski wonder-strike

Image via @LaczyNasPilka on Twitter

Goals from defenders Kacper Potulski and Przemysław Wiśniewski were the highlights for Poland against Nigeria, with a 2-2 draw in Warszawa featuring plenty of scrutiny for Poland’s defence away from their goalscoring exploits.

There were so many similarities to Sunday’s ponderous loss to Ukraine that it was easy to feel like you were suffering deja vu. There were pleasant differences, the scoring of some Polish goals for one, but so much which was hard to sit through if you were of a Polish predilection. 

It was not an auspicious start. Kamil Grabara seemed to be picking up where Marcin Bułka left off, an undercut pass rolling straight to an opponent in a dangerous area. Poland proceeded to go straight down the other end, having dealt with the mistake, only for Jakub Kamiński to miss a header from point blank range. 

Twenty minutes of fairly cagey and stifled play from both sides went by, before a swept through ball landed at the feet of Robert Lewandowski in the box with only the keeper ahead of him. Many assumed Lewandowski would shoot. Instead, he made the questionable decision to lay it back to Karol Świderski, who like everyone else wasn’t expecting it. Nigeria countered and Bartosz Slisz picked up a cheap card for a tactical foul.

Shortly thereafter, Nigeria were able to play through Poland and square the ball for a tap-in. Initially ruled out for an offside, VAR correctly intervened and Poland found themselves a goal down. It was another instance, like the second Ukrainian goal on Sunday, where Nicola Zalewski was unable to prove he has the defensive capabilities to be a wing-back. It’s becoming a worrying trend with Zalewski, especially in light of Jan Urban’s comments that he would like to change his Poland team to a back four when the circumstances and players allow. 

Unlike Sunday, Poland were able to respond with a little bit more intensity to falling behind in the first half. Piotr Zieliński had a decent strike comfortably saved, Grabara prevented Nigeria from going two goals up and Zalewski had a speculative effort that wasn’t a million miles away. 

On the brink of half-time, a Polish corner was recycled back across the six-yard box and Potulski was able to angle his foot and divert the ball into the net for his first goal in a Poland shirt. Aside from his goal, Potulski was really impressive on his full debut, he wasn’t faultless but I think he has made the best possible case to be included again in the autumn, as I would now expect him to be. 

After the break, Poland were still pretty laborious in both halves. There was some slack marking, and some poor decisions made in attack. Lewandowski missed a glorious chance when he seized on a back pass, but he didn’t connect properly with the ball and it was really, really poor. Not just for a player of his quality, but for anyone. 

Less than five minutes later and the game was stopped for a VAR check, which adjudged substitute Kacper Kozłowski to have elbowed the ball in his own penalty area. The resulting penalty was scored and Poland were behind again with just over ten minutes of the match remaining. 

I have to say, I am more than just a little bit annoyed about the awarding of this penalty, largely in the context of a much clearer one not being given for Tomasz Kędziora getting his foot trodden on just days prior against Ukraine. Furthermore, I think it’s debatable whether Kozłowski (who granted, does make a movement with his arm) ends up hitting the ball with his elbow or more with his shoulder. For me, it’s somewhere in-between. 

Yet again in attack, Poland were profligate. Two more point blank chances fell to Lewandowski and Jan Bednarek, but they were stopped well by Okoye in the Nigerian goal. 

Lewandowski was extremely profligate tonight, in ways that he normally would not have been. Equally worryingly, Piotr Zieliński was not his usual self at times either and Nicola Zalewski was busy but not to any great effect after a certain point. I think Urban should’ve been braver and replaced all three earlier in the match, but Zieliński and Zalewski were only taken off with mere seconds of the 90 minutes remaining and Lewandowski played the full game. 

Were it not for the goal of a lifetime that Wiśniewski scored from a full 35 yards, with the very last kick of the game, we’d be feeling a lot worse about the national team. You have to give credit to Wiśniewski though, and it was not the first time I have been audibly questioning the decision of a player to shoot only to be happily shut up by the ball nestling in the net. 

As I say, the similarities of tired, sluggish and then rushed play from Poland was weary and has summed up this particular pair of friendly matches. Tonight wasn’t a great display and there is some worry about how Poland can build attacks when most of the chances came from errors, and the goals from a set-piece or a hit-and-hope kind of effort. Pairing that with some confused and soft defending is a bit of a recipe for disaster, and it shows you what Urban has to work on. 

There were bright spots however. As said earlier, Potulski was good and much as I questioned the worth of Bartosz Slisz, he was probably Poland’s best midfielder tonight. Lewandowski cut a frustrated figure and I do think Urban really missed a trick not having Adrian Benedyczak in the squad for these games, the speed he possesses and the goals he’s scored since moving to Turkey this past January could’ve come in handy. 

Again, you got the impression that for large parts of the match Poland were not taking these friendlies as much as the opposition, which is as much of a concern as all the tactical issues present. 

I’ll be writing again about the past week and the mood around the national team going forward, but for now at least we can be pleased enough by the result, if not the performance. 

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