Poland and Colombia were favorites for getting to the knockout stage, but both of these teams lost in the first round. What this means is that their duel at the Kazan Arena on Sunday evening might decide who’s gonna have to pack the suitcases and go home.
Poland
Poland lost 2:1 to Senegal in the first round, in a match that saw them playing very badly in defense. Their center-back Cionek scored an own goal in the first half, while the second goal for Senegal came after Niang outrun the entire Poland defense, including their keeper, Szczesny. Poland will have to do much better defensively in the next match, as Colombia are also very good in terms of pace.
They will have to do better in the attack as well if they want to get to the knockout stage. They scored their only goal against Senegal after a free kick, while their attacks weren’t too creative. And that’s pretty strange, knowing that Poland have some really good midfielders – Krychowiak, Zielinski, Grosicky, Blaszczykowski, etc.
Still, their strongest point is their attack, thanks to the fact that they have one of the best strikers in the world playing for them. I’m talking of course about Robert Lewandowski, whom we didn’t see performing too great in the duel with Senegal. But, this guy was the top scorer in the European qualifications for World Cup, so it won’t be a big surprise if he puts away a couple against Colombia.
Colombia
The man to blame for the defeat against Japan is Carlos Sanchez, who got a red card in the 3rd minute of the game. But, even with 10 men, Colombia put on a very decent performance against Japan. They even managed to score once, but that obviously wasn’t enough.
Now they need to go for a win against a much tougher opponent. But, this doesn’t mean that they don’t have the quality to beat Poland. On the contrary, Colombia is a team that’s strong in all positions, from their keeper to the attack.
Speaking of their attack, that’s where Falcao plays, one of the most lethal strikers in history. This guy knows how to score a goal, even when the situation doesn’t seem to be going in his favor. Such a player should cause a lot of trouble to Poland’s defense.
But, the ball needs to reach Falcao somehow, which is the job of their midfielders. They’re going to miss Carlos Sanchez, but James Rodrigues will step in. He seems now fit and ready to play the entire match, rather than coming in as a substitute like he did in the game against Japan.
Possible Lineups
Poland:
Szczesny – Glik, Jedrzejczyk, Piszczek, Rybus – Zielinski, Krychowiak, Linetty, Błaszczykowski, Grosicky –Lewandowski
Colombia:
Ospina – Zapata, Mina, Arias, Mojica – Lerma, Rodriguez, Quintero, Cuadrado, Izquierdo – Falcao
Poland vs. Colombia Match Prediction
Both teams have the quality and the motivation to win this match, which means only one thing – there’s gonna be a lot of excitement. What this means is that we’re likely to witness a lot of goals in this game, probably on both ends.
Poland vs. Colombia Betting Tips
- BTS @1.80 (bet365)
- Over 2.5 Goals @2.00 (bet365)