Group C Germany Vs Poland Match Preview
Germany has an impressive record against its neighbor, but Poland claimed an important 2-0 home win in qualifying in Oct. 2014 — its first victory over Germany in 19 games.
Poland coach Adam Nawalka said Wednesday that victory was an important staging-post for his team. "But with our good players, such important wins would have come around sooner or later," he said.
With both sides winning their opening games - Poland beat Northern Ireland 1-0 on Sunday June 12,2016 and Germany beat Ukraine 2-0 on Sunday June 12,2016,Thursday's match will likely go a long way to deciding which team tops Group C for a game against a third-placed team in the round of 16.
Match Facts
Head-to-head
- Poland ended their 18-match winless run against Germany when they defeated the world champions 2-0 in Warsaw in Euro 2016 qualifying. Arkadiusz Milik and Sebastian Mila scored the goals.
- But the Germans won the return fixture in Frankfurt 3-1, their 13th win in 20 games against the Poles (D6, L1).
- Germany are unbeaten in four meetings with Poland at major tournament finals, keeping clean sheets in all four games. They won 2-0 at Euro 2008, 1-0 at the 2006 World Cup and 1-0 at the 1974 World Cup (as West Germany). West Germany and Poland also drew 0-0 at the 1978 World Cup.
- Germany have kept eight clean sheets in their last 12 games against Poland.
- Germany have won eight of their last 10 games at the European Championship - with their only defeats in the final in 2008, against Spain, and in the semi-final versus Italy in 2012.
- The last time they failed to find the net at the European Championship was in the 2008 final (a 1-0 defeat by Spain).
- They have also scored in each of their last 14 games at major tournaments.
- Mesut Ozil has registered eight assists in the World Cup and European Championship since 2010 (four in each) - which is more than any other player.
- Thomas Muller hasn't scored or assisted a single goal in six games at the European Championship. He has 10 goals and six assists in 13 World Cup games.
- Having claimed their first win at the European Championship, Poland are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time.
- Poland have never scored more than one goal in a European Championship match.
- Robert Lewandowski - who did not have a single shot against Northern Ireland on Saturday - has scored in two of his three appearances for Poland against Germany.
- Jakub Blaszczykowski has been directly involved in Poland's last three goals at the Euros (one goal and two assists)
Poland had only beaten Germany once in 20 previous meetings, but that came in qualifying for Euro 2016 and the Poles were full of confidence having won their first ever European Championship finals match against Northern Ireland on Sunday June 12,2016
Poland take on Ukraine in Marseille in their final pool match with a draw enough to seal their place in the knockout stages
Germany are still top of the group thanks to goal difference
Germany's Jerome Boateng complained that his side had been "too rigid", but agreed that a draw was a fair result from a tightly contested encounter.
"We can be happy with the nil-nil," Boateng said, but he criticised his side's lack of attacking punch.
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