The first World Cup sensation was Saudi Arabia’s victory over Argentina, with Leo Messi one step further away from making his dream come true. However, in Group C, all is not so clear-cut as the other pairing, Poland and Mexico, rolled to nil. Now quartet leader Saudi Arabia will play the Poles. Will we find out if the Saudis were lucky in the first meeting or are they really that good? The meeting starts on 26 November at 14:00 UK time.
Bookmaker Ratings: Prediction #1 – Match Winner – Poland – 1.79.
Bookmaker Ratings: Prediction #2 – Handicap (-1) for Poland – 2.46.
Bookmaker Ratings: Prediction #3 – Anytime Goalscorer – Lewandowski – 1.60.
The Mexicans were better than the Poles in the opening game, winning both in possession and in shots on target and inside the box. Nevertheless, Robert Lewandowski’s most realistic scoring chance came when he failed to convert a penalty. Saudi Arabia surprised not so much with the result as with their spirit, as the Saudis were the first to concede a goal that was canceled out, but that did not stop them at all. As a result, they won 2-1 against Argentina themselves. Looking at their games this year, the Poles have only won by two goals or more on ten occasions (10%). Saudi Arabia have not lost by the same margin in 12 of their 13 previous games (92%).
Lewandowski is a real goalscorer and a missed penalty against Mexico should be motivation for him to score at least in this match.
The Poles did not get off to the best start. The 0-0 draw with Mexico came with a touch of sadness.
The Poles should have been happy with parity, but Robert Lewandowski’s missed penalty affected the overall picture. Those two points could be insufficient…
Of course, in this game, Poland will be actively looking for loopholes in the Arabian defense. Here, too, it’s Lewandowski’s scoring genius that counts.
The Poles will certainly not underestimate their opponents. They need to win and it is desirable not to repeat the mistakes of the Argentines.
The Arabians, who were the biggest sensation of the opening round, are capable of continuing in the same vein. The victory over Argentina (1-2) was spectacular.
Their brave play against the big side shook them up. Neither did the opposition get away with it, with Saudi Arabia scoring two goals.
Moreover, the national team looked good in defense. The only goal from the Argentines was conceded on penalties.
A draw will probably be all right for the Arabians in this contest. However, now everyone will be getting ready for Saudi Arabia in a very serious way.
In our opinion, the teams will take to the field with the following line-ups:
Poland: Szczęsny – Zalewski, Kiwior, Glik, Bednarek, Cash – Szymański, Krychowiak, Zieliński – Lewandowski, Milik.
Saudi Arabia: Al-Owais – Al-Burayk, Al-Boleahi, Al Tambakti, Abdulhamid – Al Malki, Kanno, Al-Abed – Al Dawsari, Al-Shehiri, Al Buraikan.
The fixture will be played at Education City Stadium (44.667) in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
This starting whistle will sound on the 26th of November, 2022, at 14:00 UK Time.
We recommend checking out the odds for the World Cup 2022: Poland vs Saudi Arabia at 22Bet.