Poland’s national football team will try to repeat at Euro 2020 the performance of the 2016s tournament, which saw Central Europe’s nation progress to the quarter-finals. Paulo Sousa’s men seek to be competitive in their fourth consecutive European Championship, having the main target to reach the knockout phase. They are one of the underdogs to lift the trophy at 81.00 odds, giving the exact payout as Sweden to win Euro 2020 Group E at 7.00 odds. The Scandinavians and the three-time winners of the European Championship, Spain, are Poland’s primary opponents. Robert Lewandowski is the firepower and star of this Polish squad, hoping to have as worthy supporters the experienced defender and vice-captain Kamil Glik and the key midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak.
Read our Poland Euro 2020 detailed analysis based on the squad, probable lineups and tactics. You can check all the latest odds and predictions for the Polish team’s potential route from Group E through the knockout phase.
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Poland Euro 2021 Odds & Predictions
Although they have been drawn in a challenging group alongside Spain and Sweden, the “White and Red Eagles” are favorites to qualify for Last-16 at 1.45 odds. Their chances to win the Euro 2020 are equal with Austria’s (i.e., 81.00 odds) and shortly higher than Sweden’s 101.00. Poland has one away match against host nation Spain for Matchday 2, at Sevilla. The two remaining matches will be held in Saint Petersburg for the group’s opening day and Matchday 3. That means the Central Europeans will have to make two long trips during the group stages from Russia to Spain and back to Russia, covering a 9,000 km distance in total.
Poland was fruitful at Euro 2020 qualifiers, under Jerzy Brzeczek’s charge, taking 1st place at Group G with 25 points and eight wins from a total of ten matches. The “Bialo-Czerwoni” scored 18 goals and conceded only five in a formidable group against Austria, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Israel, and Latvia. Get our released picks and predictions based on Poland’s potential path at Euro 2020.
✔️ Group E ⏩ Poland to Place 2nd @3.15 (43/20) odds.
✔️ Group E ⏩ Poland - 6 exact points in group @7.00 (6/1) odds.
✔️ Group E ⏩ Spain, Poland, & Sweden to Place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd* @1.87 (87/100) odds.
*without a specific order
Poland Euro 2020 Fixtures & Schedule
Spain vs. Poland Euro 2020 match will be critical for Paulo Sousa’s team, and it will determine if the Central Europeans can reach the group’s 1st place. Slovakia is a lower-potential opponent, while Sweden seems to have the same chances to get to the knockout phase at 7.00 (6/1) odds. The 2018 World Cup campaign was disappointing; the Polish team won only one match and was disqualified from the group stage. However, the “White and Red Eagles” bounced back at Euro 2020 qualifiers having a two-win campaign at Nations League path A. They were at Group A1 alongside Italy, Netherlands and Bosnia/Herzegovina, collecting seven points.
Poland took 3rd place and avoided relegation to League B, scoring six and conceding the same number of goals. The current form of Paulo Sousa’s men contains three matches in 2021, all for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. In his last-March debut, the Polish national team drew 3-3 against Hungary in Budapest with Lewandowski’s equalizer at 82nd minute. Poland won 3-0 Andorra at home, in its first success at last five official matches, before the 2-1 loss from England at London. Let’s see Poland’s Euro 2020 group stage matches and what will happen if Sousa’s side finishes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
Poland Euro 2020 Fixtures | Date | Venue |
Poland vs. Slovakia | June 14, 2021 / 18:00 CET | Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg |
Spain vs. Poland | June 19, 2021 / 21:00 CET | La Cartuja, Sevilla |
Sweden vs. Poland | June 23, 2021 / 18:00 CET | Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg |
Can Poland Win Group E?
The main target for the Polish national football team is to sneak into 2nd spot ahead of Sweden and avoid a probable group stage exit. Only four of the six 3rd-placed teams will qualify at the Last 16 Round. So, there are some not straightforward chances for the “Bialo-Czerwoni” to get to the knockout phase. Group E is tough, and the opening day’s match against Slovakia surely critical. If Polish players secure three points, then they should create chances and increase pressure against defensively-adept Sweden. Here you can explore the average odds in all possible outcomes that Poland can bring in Euro 2020 Group E.
⏩ Το Win Group @7.00 (6/1) odds.
⏩ To Place 2nd @3.15 (43/20) odds.
⏩ To Qualify Group @1.45 (9/20) odds.
⏩ To Place 3rd @2.75 (7/4) odds.
⏩ Not to Qualify Group @2.75 (7/4) odds.
You can discover and learn all the scenarios based on Poland’s Euro 2020 fixtures in the table below.
Poland Group Place | Last-16 Probable Opponents |
1st | 3rd Group A (Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland) / 3rd Group B (Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia) / 3rd Group C (Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia) / 3rd Group D (England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic) |
2nd | Runner-up Group D (England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic) |
3rd* | Winner Group B (Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia) / Winner Group C (Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia) |
*If Group E gives one of the best 3rd-placed teams to advance to the Last-16.
✔️ Our prediction: Spain has the ultimate advantage to win the group, but the odds are low, being a massive favorite. Poland and Sweden have more quality than Slovakia, so the pick based on these teams’ classification from 1st to 3rd place has a betting value at 1.87 odds.
What odds & bets bookies offer for Poland
Poland should handle the Spanish giants in Group E and a well-defending team like Sweden to increase the chances of winning a place in the knockout phase. The first match against Slovakia has Paulo Sousa’s men a significant favorite at 1.70 odds. The Portugal tactician should manage to take the best of his team against Spain on Matchday 2, where the pick based on Poland’s win pays 8.00 odds and the draw 4.20. The critical part of Group E is the Sweden vs. Poland final match, where the “White and Red Eagles” are a marginal underdog at 2.80 odds, with the draw paying 3.25.
✔️ Our prediction: The big difference between Sweden and Poland, the teams with almost the same chances to qualify behind Spain, is Robert Lewandowski’s skills. Bayern Munich’s striker didn’t score a single goal for his nation during Euro 2016. He was sharp during qualifiers netting six pieces, and remains the most significant threat for the opponent’s defenses. The 32-years-old striker is the main reason to pick Poland as a 2nd-placed team. Sousa’s men can reach six points if they win against Slovakia and finish with success in the group stage against the Scandinavians.
Poland Euro 2020/2021 Lineup & Tactics
Krzysztof Piatek’s injury deprives a prolific solution in Poland’s attacking line, so Paulo Sousa should find an alternative to cover that absence among the call-ups of Kownacki, Swierczok and Swiderski. Arkadiusz Milik will miss the tournament due to a knee injury, so Marseille’s forwards absence will place more of the attacking burden on Bayern’s star striker Lewandowski. Poland has never got further than the quarter-finals and should prove that it can withstand the group’s pressure under the charge of a new manager after Jerzy Brzeczek’s replacement. Read our Poland Euro 2020 preview and learn about Sousa’s tactics, the probable lineup, and the squad’s latest calls for the Euro 2020.
The Squad
Poland has qualified for a third elite tournament (i.e., European Championship or World Cup) in a row for the first time in the nation’s history. Following the bottom finish at the World Cup in Russia in 2018, coach Adam Nawalka lost his job. His successor Jerzy Brzeczek paid heavy criticism for his defensive style of football, although he drove the Polish team to Euro 2020 with only one defeat. So, Paulo Sousa should solve the problem on the bench. You can check in the underneath list his selection for Poland’s Euro 2020 squad.
Position | Player | Age | Caps | Goals | Current Club |
GK | Lukasz Fabianski | 36 | 56 | 0 | West Ham United |
GK | Wojciech Szczesny | 31 | 53 | 0 | Juventus |
GK | Lukasz Skorupski | 30 | 4 | 0 | Bologna |
DF | Kamil Glik | 33 | 83 | 6 | Benevento |
DF | Maciej Rybus | 31 | 62 | 2 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
DF | Bartosz Bereszynski | 28 | 32 | 0 | Sampdoria |
DF | Jan Bednarek | 25 | 30 | 1 | Southampton |
DF | Tomasz Kedziora | 27 | 23 | 0 | Dynamo Kyiv |
DF | Pawel Dawidowicz | 26 | 3 | 0 | Hellas Verona |
DF | Michal Helik | 25 | 3 | 0 | Barnsley |
DF | Kamil Piatkowski | 21 | 2 | 0 | Rakow Czestochowa |
DF | Tymoteusz Puchacz | 22 | 2 | 0 | Lech Poznan |
MF | Grzegorz Krychowiak | 31 | 80 | 4 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
MF | Piotr Zielinski | 27 | 60 | 7 | Napoli |
MF | Mateusz Klich | 31 | 31 | 2 | Leeds United |
MF | Karol Linetty | 26 | 30 | 2 | Torino |
MF | Kamil Jozwiak | 23 | 14 | 2 | Derby County |
MF | Przemyslaw Frankowski | 26 | 12 | 1 | Chicago Fire |
MF | Jakub Moder | 22 | 10 | 2 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
MF | Przemyslaw Placheta | 23 | 4 | 0 | Norwich City |
MF | Kacper Kozlowski | 17 | 3 | 0 | Pogon Szczecin |
FW | Robert Lewandowski | 32 | 119 | 66 | Bayern Munich |
FW | Dawid Kownacki | 24 | 7 | 1 | Fortuna Dusseldorf |
FW | Jakub Swierczok | 28 | 5 | 1 | Piast Gliwice |
FW | Karol Swiderski | 24 | 4 | 2 | PAOK |
The Key Players & Tactics
Αfter three official matches in charge, for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Paulo Sousa seems to have made the final decision about Poland’s new formation. Against Hungary, Andorra, and England (i.e., three different-quality opponents) used 3-4-3, with Bednarek and Glik having a crucial role in central defense. Robert Lewandowski should be Poland’s goal-machine to help his nation’s progress in the tournament.
The most controversial decision that Sousa already made is his intention to use Wojciech Szczesny as a starting goalie instead of West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski. The two goalkeepers started three matches each in the Nations League, but the Juventus’ player is the major favorite for the place after Sousa’s announcement. Rybus, Krychowiak, Klich, Zielinski are midfield and defense key players who can upgrade Poland’s status with their skills and experience. Swiderski, Kownacki, and Swierczok are Milik’s alternatives after the Polish FA’s decision not to call up a replacement.
The Probable Lineup
The Polish Football Association decided to replace Brzeczek for his extreme defensive tactics, appointing Paulo Sousa. The Portugal tactician is also known for his conservative approach. The crucial question that needs to be answered is if he made good use of time to change the 4-4-2 formation with his preferred 3-4-3. Szczesny rises as a favorite to be the starting goalie, with Barnsley’s Helik has the most chances to be the third defender alongside Glik and Bednarek. Bereszynski and Rybus will take place as full-backs, right and left, respectively, with Krychowiak and Klich having the ultimate lead in composing Poland’s midfield. Zielinski will be the offensive cruck frame behind Lewandowski and probably Swierczok.
The Manager
After his spell from 2005 to 2008 at Portugal’s national Academy, Paulo Sousa returned to an international bench for Poland. Τhe 50-years-old tactician was an influential defensive midfielder, lifting the Champions League with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. As a manager, he spent three years in England and Wales for Queens Park Rangers, Swansea, and Leicester. His best coaching years were in Maccabi Tel Aviv and Basel, where he took two consecutive titles at Israel and Switzerland. Sousa won 62 from 99 matches from June 2013 up to May 2015, but his spells at Chinese Tianjin and French Bordeaux had a lack of success. He was appointed as Poland’s national coach before the Euro 2020 tournament on the 21st of January 2021.
Explore in the table below the best online bookmakers for Euro 2020 that offer the highest odds in a wide range of markets based on Poland’s potential path in the tournament.