Match report: Poland 1-2 Slovakia
Group E: Milan Skriniar scored the odd goal of three to win the points for Slovakia against a Polish team reduced to 10 men shortly after the hour mark.
On ITV: Former referee Peter Walton thinks Krychowiak deserved both his yellow cards, while pundits Ally McCoist, Nigel De Jong and Eni Aluko are unanimous in their agreement that the second was harsh.
“Krychowiak’s first caution seemed soft but accurate,” writes reader Matthew Richman. His second strikes me as entirely harsh. Studs were not planted and nothing about it struck me as out of control or dangerous. A foul, surely, but I’m still wrapping my head around how that was worth a sending off. Not that this is affecting my evaluation in any way, but the Poles in this bar seem to agree.” I’ll bet they do.
Elsewhere in Group E: Spain host Sweden in Seville in tonight’s 8pm (BST) kick-off. John Brewin has the latest ...
A quick recap: Slovakia led at half-time courtesy of a fine solo effort from RObert Mak, which unfortunately for the left winger, will go down as a Wojciech Szczesny own goal after the ball hit the post and went in off the goalkeepers outstretched arm.
Poland wasted no time in the second half, with Karol Linetty restoring parity within a minute of the restart. With Poland in the ascendency, they lost midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak to a red card and the tide turned once again. Milan Skriniar won the game for Slovakia, lashing home from the edge of the Poland penalty area as the men in white tried to clear a corner.
Full time: Poland 1-2 Slovakia
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over in Saint Petersburg, where Slovakia have taken all three points. It’s only their second ever win at the European Championships but they thoroughly deserved all three points.
Updated
90+4 min: Swiderski shoots on ther turn after briulliant hold-up play from Lewandowski, who tees him up. He’s unable to get enough power behind his effort to trouble Martin Dubravka, who saves comfortably.
90+4 min: Slovakia are defending very deep and clinging on for dear life in these closing stages.
90+3 min: Slovakia substitution: Gregus on for Duda, who has been outstanding for Slovakia tonight.
90+2 min: Jan Bednarek has a shot blocked from about 14 yards out but gets another bite of the cherry. He spins and scuffs the ball wide the wrong side of the upright.
90 min: Poland free-kick, wide on the left. Moder curls the ball into the penalty area, where Dubravka punches clear.
88 min: Slovakia doube-substitiution from a couple of minutes ago: Duris and Suslov on for Mak and Haraslin.
86 min: Glik shoots goalwards and his shot is put out for a corner. The ensuing inswinger travels across the face of goal, somehow eluding four different Polish players on its way wide. Lewandowski should have got his head to it but he mistimed his jump.
Updated
85 min: Poland double-substitution: Moder and Swiderski on for Zielinski and Klich.
84 min: Poland win a corner. The delivery is headed clear but only as far as Puchacz. He slices his effort from the edge of the area high and wide.
82 min: Poland look out of ideas as they attempt to rescue something in the final 10 minutes of this game. With Lewandowski up front, there’s always a chance they’ll pull something out of the bag.
81 min: Poland win a free-kick a long way from the Slovakia goal. Zielinski tries to pick out Lewandowski with his delivery but Slovakia clear.
78 min: Slovakia double-substitution: Koscelnik and Hrosovsky on for Hromada and Pekarik.
76 min: “You wouldn’t even know that Lewandowski is playing,” says Emma Hayes on ITV co-comms. “At Bayern Munich he has Thomas Mueller but I don’t think he’s had anyone to play off today and he hasn’t had any quality of service.”
Updated
72 min: Poland double-substitution: Frankowski and Puchacz on for Rybus and the goalscorer Linetty.
71 min: A man down and a goal down, Poland are in all sorts of bother at the moment despite their dream start to this second half. They’re chasing the game but Paulo Sousa has yet to ring the changes.
GOAL! Poland 1-2 Slovakia (Skriniar 69)
Milan Skriniar lashes the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the penalty area after the ball had come his way from the corner.
Updated
68 min: Haraslin fires into the side-netting, the ball taking a deflection on the way. Corner for Slovakia.
66 min: Paulo Sousa hasn’t made any substitutions since losing his central midfielder, but Lewandowski does seem to have dropped deeper to try and help to fill the Krychowiak-shaped hole.
64 min: It wasn’t a particularly bad challenge from Krychowiak but he was late as he bundled Hromada off the ball and can have no complaints. It didn’t stop him complaining, mind. After his pleas for leniency fell on deaf ears, he marched off the pitch and down the tunnel.
RED CARD!
62 min: Poland midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak gets his second yellow card for a late challenge on Jakub Hromada. It’s swiftly followed by a red.
Updated
61 min: Linetty is penalised for a foul on Kucka as the pair go down in a tangle of heavily inked limbs.
59 min: Poland win a free-kick and then a corner, with not much of note coming from either.
57 min: On ITV co-comms, Emma Hayes points out that Poland are playing a lot higher up the pitch, meaning that there’s more space between Slovakia’s midfield and their forward players, Ondrey Duda and Marek Hamsik, who are becoming isolated. They were hugely influential in the first half.
56 min: Rybus tries to play Linetty through on goal but there’s too much venom in his pass and the goalscorer is unable to control the ball and turn.
54 min: Dubravka plays the ball out under pressure from Lewandowski to send Slovakia upfield again. They look a little rattled by this Polish onslaught early in the second half.
52 min: Poland have been much better in this second half and win themselves a corner. Kamil Glik leaps to meet the inswinger but heads just over the bar. He should have scored.
51 min: Linetty fails to get enough power on his effort as he pounces on another pull-bac, this time from Klich. Dubravka saves easily.
50 min: Poland win a free-kick just inside their own half. They’ve tweaked their formation to get an extra man into midfield in this second half.
47 min: Linetty slots home from about nine yards out, sweeping a pull-back from Maciej Rybus into ther bottom right-hand corner after great work by Klich and Lewandowski down the left. Dubravka was at full stretch but couldn’t keep the ball out.
GOAL! Poland 1-1 Slovakia (Linetty 46)
Poland draw level just 30 seconds into the second half.
Updated
Second half: Poland 0-1 Slovakia
46 min: Poland kick off with no changes in personnel on either side at the start of the second half.
Updated
Half-time: Poland 0-1 Slovakia
Referee Ovidiu Hategan draws the first half to a close and the teams traipse off with Slovakia a goal to the good. History will unfairly record it as a Wojciech Szczesny own goal, but it came on the back of a terrific solo effort from Robert Mak, who deserves all the credit. He and Marek Hamsik have been outstanding for a Slovakia teram that are well worth their lead.
Updated
45 min: The standout player in this first half, Slovakia skipper Marek Hamsik tries another shot from distance. It’s blocked by a defender.
Updated
44 min: A Krychowiack cross into the Slovakia penalty is cleared and the men in blue pour forward on the counter. Poland get back and defend well. It’s end-to-end stuff at the Saint Petersburg Stadium as we approach half-time.
40 min: Poland attack on the break, with Robert Lewandowski on the ball. He hesitates, allowing Slovakia to regroup and get back in numbers. He plays the ball wide and then sends a half-chance wide when it’s returned his way, sending a diagonal effort across the face of goal and wide.
37 min: Karol Linetty is the next Polish player to shoot from distance. He fares no better than any of his team-mates, failing to hit the target and force a save out of Martin Dubravka.
36 min: From outside the Poland penalty area, Marek Hamsik pulls a low daisy-cutter well wide of the far post.
35 min: Another opportunity for Poland. Krychowiak shoots from distance but sends his shot a couple of feet over the bar. Moments later, Zielinski has a pop but also fails to find the target.
32 min: Hamsik plays Pekarik in behind Jan Bednarek down the right flank. His cross is inch perfect for Kucka, who is unable to get enough power on his header. Szczesny saves comfortably.
Updated
31 min: Kucka goes down in the Poland penalty area prompting Slovakia’s players to appeal for a spot-kick. They don’t get one.
30 min: Marek Hamsik tries his luck with a shot from the left corner of the Polish penalty area. Mateusz Klich gets his body in front of the ball and blocks.
28 min: Juraj Kucka fires a foot or so over the bar from distance for Slovakia.
27 min: There was a VAR check for a possible penalty in the build-up to that Poland chance, but match official Marco Di Bello saw no foul.
24 min: Poland go close with a free-flowing move down the right flank. The ball was squared to Maciej Rybus, who failed to connect properly in acres of space.
22 min: Poland mdfielder Gregorz Krychowiak is booked for a foul on Tomas Hubocan, who also received a yellow card for some indiscretion or other in the immediate aftermath of the goal.
Updated
20 min: That was a terrific goal from Mak, although the Polish defending was questionable to say the least. It has actually been credited to Szszesny, who should have kept it out after the ball took a deflection off Glik. Mak was faceing the touchline out wide, but managed to turn, cut inside and beat two defenders before firing goalwards. His goal came against ther run of play.
Updated
GOAL! Poland 0-1 Slovakia (Sczcesny 18og)
Robert Mak scores with a fine solo effort, cutting in from the left, nutmegging a defender and shooting from the edge of the six-yard box. His deflected shot beat Wojciech Szczesny at his near post.
Updated
16 min: Juraj Kucka is given a lecture by the referee after a robust challenge on Piotr Zielinski. Free-kick for Poland, wide on the left. The delivery towards Glick is poor and the ball sails out of play.
14 min: We’re treated to a couple of stepovers from Slovakia striker Ondrey Duda, who cuts inside from the right and pulls a low drive a couple of yards wide of the left upright from the edge of the penalty area.
13 min: Good goalkeeping from Dubravka, who is sold short with a back-pass but manages to recover well under pressure and pick out a team-mate.
11 min: Poland go on the attack again. Kamil Jozwiak runs down the inside right on to a beautifully weighted through ball and lofts a cross towards the far post. |Peter Pekarik hooks clear for Slovakia and is fouled in the process. Another free-kick and a chance for the under pressure Slovakians to regroup.
9 min: Mateusz Klich is fouled by Juraj Kucka out by the right touchline, halfway inside the Slovakia half. Free-kick. Coming off his line in the Slovakia goal, Martin Dubravka punches the subsequent inswinger clear.
7 min: Hamsik tries to create an opening down the right flank but loses possession, allowing Poland to counter with Zielinski on the ball. They run into traffic on the edge of the Slovakia penalty area.
6 min: Lewandowski has his first shot of the game for Poland but the ball ricochets off one of his own team-mates.
Updated
4 min: Poland get forward down the left flank with Krychowiack and Zielinski combining. Slovakia clear their lines.
2 min: Slovakia left-back Thomas Hubocan is fouled out by the left touchline and earns his side a free-kick. The ball is played towards the far post by Marek Hamsik and headed across the face of goal. Lewandowski makes a crucial interception with his own head.
2 min: On ITV co-comms, Chelsea women’s team manager Emma Hayes has identified the battle between Milan Skriniar and Robert Lewandowski as being key to the outcome for today’s game.
Group E: Poland v Slovakia is go ...
1 min: Slovakia get the ball rolling on the whistle of match referee Ovidiu Hategan, their players wearing blue shirts, black shorts and black socks. The players of Poland wear white shirts, red shorts and white socks.
Not long now: The players of both teams make their way out on to the pitch for a match that was originally supposed to be staged in Dublin, but was moved because the Irish government could provide no assurances that spectators would be aloowed to attend because of Covid restrictions. A crowd of 30,000 is expected today in the Saint Petersburg arena - exactly half-capacity. It’s time for the anthems and kick-off is just five minutes away.
Match report: Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic
Group D: Ewan Murray was at Hampden Park to see Scotland go down to a brace from Patrik Schick. Here’s how he saw the action unfold ...
Updated
Poland v Slovakia line-ups
Poland (3-4-3): Szczesny, Bereszynski, Glik, Bednarek, Rybus, Linetty, Krychowiak, Klich, Jozwiak, Lewandowski, Zielinski.
Slovakia (4-2-3-1): Dubravka, Pekarik, Satka, Skriniar, Hubocan, Kucka, Hromada, Haraslin, Hamsik, Mak, Duda.
Updated
Group D result: Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic
There wasn’t a huge amount between the teams at Hampden Park, but the Czech’s took their chances while Scotland didn’t. Patrik Schick scored twice, his second from 50 yards out and a strike that will take some beating in the Goal of the Tournament stakes.
Updated
Paulo Sousa speaks
“First of all, we know we represent the whole of Poland,” he said. “We want to come back to our base with smiles. Monday will be one of the most important days of my coaching career. I thank God that football gave so much to me and to my family. I am really glad that I can participate in Euro 2020.
“All the players we brought with us are fit and ready. We have a good team and hope to come back to Poland with three points after the first game. I don’t have any big doubts about the first XI, maybe one or two players.”
Stefan Tarkovic speaks
“I am so glad all my players are healthy,” said Slovakia’s coach. “The whole team are ready and motivated to be successful. The game will be a challenge for us. Paper assumptions are not important for me. I will be happy if we leave the field with our heads up and if we show our fans we came here to fight for our country.”
Today’s match officials
Ovidiu Hategan leads a largely Romanian team of match officials. With no VAR in the Romanian league, Italy’s Marco Di Bello will be in the TV bunker keeping his eyes peeled.
- Referee: Ovidiu Hategan (Romania)
- Referee’s assistants: Radu Ghinguleac and Sebastian Gheorghe (Romania)
- Fourth official: Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
- VAR: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
Early team news
Poland have had to leave several key personnel at home, with manager Paulo Sousa forced to plan without the services of injured defenders Krystian Bielik and Arkadiusz Reca, as well as strikers Krzysztof Piatek and Arkadiusz Milik. The latter pair’s absence may prompt their manager to play Lewandowski up front on his own, rather than with a partner.
Slovakia winger Ivan Schranz is his manager’s believed to be his manager Stefan Tarkovic’s only injury concern. The 27-year-old from Slavia Prague has been struggling with a thigh injury.
Euro 2020 Group E: Poland v Slovakia
Completed eight years late and at a mere 548% over budget, the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Russia will be at half it’s 61,000 capacity as it hosts this afternoon’s Group E opener between Poland and Slovakia.
Both nations come into the tournment on decidedly uninspiring runs of form but in Robert Lewandowski, the Poles boast the world’s most lethal striker. In Milan Skriniar and Marek Hamsik, Slovakia boast a couple of international household names of their own but will start as outsiders in this match. Kick-off is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
