Poland and Austria both faced defeat in their respective games on Matchday One. Defeat for either side at the Olympiastadion would virtually leave them on the brink of elimination.
Poland had a couple of chances here and there but were by far outplayed by the Netherlands. On the other hand, Das Team felt hard done after failing to snatch a point against the star-studded French with a spirited performance which has led many experts to pick Austria as the ‘dark horses.’
Poland hold a superiority over Austria in terms of wins. The Biało-czerwoni are unbeaten having won four and drawn one in the previous five meetings vs Austria. The last time both teams played each other was in 2019 when they played out a draw.
Ralf Rangnick took over as Austrian head coach in 2022 during some turbulent times and has since instilled a sense of confidence and structure in the team. The former Manchester United boss has Austria playing football his way; gegenpressing and quick transitions.
A very crucial game in context to how group D would shape up is on cards.
-
Team News
Poland
Star striker Robert Lewandoski, who was out of the Poles’ first game against the Netherlands, is back in full training, although the expectation is that Lewandowski may play a role off the bench.
Unfortunately, there are more problems for Michal Probierz as Bartosz Salamon is a doubt after injuring his finger in the opener. Pawel Dawidowicz is in contention to step up for the veteran defender.
Austria
Coming off a resilient battle against the mighty French, the Austrians have a fully fit squad and Rangnick, who has no selection concerns, will be hopeful that his boys pick up from where they left off.
-
Likely Lineups
Poland: Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Slisz; Frankowski, Zielinski, Piotrowski, Zalewski; Lewandowski, Szymanski
Austria: Pentz; Posch, Danso, Wober, Mwene; Siewald, Laimer; Sabitzer, Schmid, Baumgartner; Grillitsch
-
Key Players
Poland - Robert Lewandowski
The Polish captain was ruled out for the opener but is set to return in this one. Lewandowski is hands down one of the best strikers in the world and not only is he a lethal scorer but also has the ability to create chances for his teammates.
Even though he might have a restricted role off the bench, a player of his stature cannot be overlooked. Adam Buksa who played well as the deputy for Lewandowski may be hard done by if the Barca man is given a start. If not, he also can form an exciting duo up top for the Poles.
Austria - Marcel Sabitzer
Having played for most of his career in Germany, Sabitzer may feel at home if not away from it. He has a good record playing at the Olympiastdion scoring two and assisting two in the six games he has played here in the Bundesliga.
The feat of Champions League runner-up adds more weight on Sabitzer's shoulders along with the fact of him being one of the experienced members in the Austrian setup.
After a more defensively astute performance against the French on Matchday One, the Austrians looking for a win would be more attack-minded this game and Marcel Sabitzer would be at the heart of it.
-
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Olympiastadion, Berlin is the venue for this Group D encounter between Poland and Austria. With a capacity of about 74,000, the home of Hertha Berlin will host this match at a place of immense historical significance in terms of sports history of the world.
What time is kick-off?
The teams will get the ball rolling at 5 PM BST, that is 6 PM local time, Germany.
How can I watch?
The match would be available via the following operators in the countries below.
Austria: ServusTV, ORF
Poland: TVP
United Kingdom: BBC TV Sport, ITV UK
