Poland vs Portugal

PGE Narodowy sets the stage for a handsomely-looking UEFA Nations League showdown between Poland and Portugal.

Poland bounced back from a disappointing group-stage exit at Euro 2024 with a 3-2 win against Scotland in their opening Nations League outing. However, a feel-good factor has vanished after a 1-0 defeat against Croatia last time out deepened the Poles’ crisis, leaving them with just one victory in five (W1, D1, L3). Keen to remain in League A, where they’ve been since the competition’s inception in 2018, Michal Probierz’s men must defy their dreadful five-game winless H2H run against Portugal (D3, L2) to return to winning ways. Poland can draw confidence from their superb home form as they’ve not lost any of their last nine home matches (W7, D2) since exiting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, conceding under 1.5 goals on each occasion.

If there’s a team capable of penetrating Poland’s rock-solid backline, it’s Portugal. Despite a morale-devastating quarter-final elimination at Euro 2024, Roberto Martinez’s men head into proceedings in high spirits after commencing their latest League A campaign with back-to-back 2-1 home wins against Croatia and Scotland last month. Like their hosts, the Euro 2016 winners have been hard to score against, conceding one goal or fewer in seven of their eight most recent internationals (W6, D2). A quick-fire start could be on the cards, with Portugal’s two outings in Group A1 featuring the opening goal inside ten minutes. Furthermore, Portugal’s only previous away game against Poland in this competition produced three first-half goals as the Selecao ran out 3-2 victors in 2018.