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The second match in the championship will be played by the national teams of Germany and Poland. The first matches went differently for the teams. After easily defeating Costa Rica, the Germans almost secured their spot in the next stage. Meanwhile, the Poles, considered one of the favorites in the group, unexpectedly lost their first match to the Ecuadorian team. A loss in this match would mean that Poland would end this championship early.
Dortmund - "Signal Iduna Park" stadium Germany - Poland Match start: 22:00 (Lithuanian time) Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)
Mutual matches Germany and Poland have played a total of 14 matches, with the Poles never celebrating a victory. Four times the teams played to a draw, and in ten matches the Germans triumphed.
Facts about the teams Germany The victory against Costa Rica was the first time in seven consecutive World and European Championships that Germany scored more than one goal. Germany won their first match in the fifth consecutive World Cup. However, since the victory against the Czech Republic in 1996, the hosts have not won against a European team in any of the major tournaments (World or European Championships). Nine matches ended in a draw, and five times the Germans left the field defeated. Of the six German forwards, only two were born in Germany - Mike Hanke and David Odonkor. The main German forwards Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, who are expected to start this match, were born in Poland and often speak Polish to each other. Poland The loss to Ecuador was the sixth in a row in the World Cup matches, where the Poles failed to score a goal. In the four previous World Cup matches, Poland also failed to score in the first match. In the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, the Poles finished last in their group. They lost to South Korea and Portugal, and won against the USA. It was the only World Cup where the Polish team failed to advance to the second stage. Injured players The German captain, Michael Ballack, who missed the first match with Costa Rica, is expected to appear in the starting lineup. The player has been training with the team and should take Timo Borowski's place on the field. In the Polish national team, there are doubts about Kamil Kosowski. It is unclear whether the defender will recover from a strained Achilles tendon in time for the match. Kosowski played the last 15 minutes in the match against Ecuador.
Opinions German national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann would like to extend the streak of 14 unbeaten matches against neighboring Poland. However, after losing the first match, the Polish team has nowhere to fall back and Klinsmann understands that well. "They need to earn three points, because otherwise, realistically speaking, they will be out. But we also want three points." "They will do everything they can to stay in this tournament. These will be intense matches," - thoughts on the meeting with the Poles were shared by the German national team strategist. "We watched how Ecuador defeated them, but we will play differently. We have our strengths and will start the match at a high pace," Klinsmann said. Meanwhile, Pawel Janas - the coach of the Polish national team, understands that this match with the Germans is crucial. "These matches are very, very important. If we don't earn three points, or at least one, we can pack our bags and go home." "The match against Germany is the most important in their lives. It's a matter of 'to be or not to be'," - Pawel Janas talked about the importance of the meeting with the Germans. The coach of the Polish national team praised the German attack in the first match against Costa Rica, but he also knows their weaknesses: "They are a very good attacking team. They score a lot of goals, have excellent forwards, but they are young and a bit weak in defense, although they score more goals than they let in."
Expectations for the match Scoring four goals in the first match gives optimism to the German national team fans and allows them to hope that their attack will work just as well against Poland. On the other hand, the hosts should be worried about their defense. Conceding two goals to the far-from-favorites like Costa Rica gives hope to the Poles, for whom this match is crucial. Poland, with nothing to lose, will fight to the end, so although the Germans are considered favorites, we should expect a fierce battle. Probable starting lineups: Germany: Lehmann; Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm; Schneider, Frings, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose. Poland: Boruc; Bak, Jop, Zewlakow, Baszczynski; Krzynowek, Jelen, Szymkowiak, Sobolewski; Smolarek, Zurawski.
