Poland’s Lewandowski Misses Crucial Moment as Team Faces Early Exit from Tournament

by Nicholas Edwards · 21/06/2024

Poland coach Michal Probierz reflects on missed opportunities after Robert Lewandowski’s late entry in a 3-1 loss to Austria. Poland is eliminated from the tournament ahead of their final group game against France.

Berlin, Bollywood Fever: Poland coach Michal Probierz admitted they missed their critical moment when all-time top scorer Robert Lewandowski came on against Austria after the match was already two-thirds over. Following a 0-0 draw in Friday’s late game between the Netherlands and France, Poland became the first team eliminated from the tournament, leaving them with only pride to play for when they face France in their final group game on Tuesday.

“We knew that this would be a highly intensive match, and we decided with the medical team, and Lewandowski himself, that he would not be starting from the first minutes,” Probierz said after Poland’s 3-1 loss to Austria on Friday in Berlin. “We hoped that we could break through the Austrian defence in the second half. It’s a pity that we didn’t score. We missed that moment.”

Poland's Lewandowski Misses Crucial Moment as Team Faces Early Exit from Tournament

Lewandowski, who sat out the 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands in Poland’s opener due to an injury, energized the crowd when he entered the game on the hour mark, relieving fans who had wondered if he would spend the full 90 minutes on the sidelines. However, his presence on the field failed to provide the winning edge for the team.

Poland went into halftime level with Austria, who had taken the lead with a ninth-minute goal before striker Krzysztof Piatek equalized on the half-hour mark. It took less than seven minutes after Lewandowski, who boasts 82 goals in more than 150 internationals, came on for Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner to net their second goal, followed by a Marko Arnautovic penalty 12 minutes later.

Poland now faces France, who will be aiming to clinch a place in the last 16, in their final group game on Tuesday in Dortmund.