No chance before the last game
Lewandowski’s Poland are the first team to fail at the European Championship
21.06.2024, 23:09
Now it’s the first team’s turn: for the Polish national team, the European Championship is over before the last group match. At least in terms of their chances of remaining in the competition. The decision will be made in the second group match.
No knockout duels for star striker Robert Lewandowski: Poland’s national team is the first team to have to accept elimination in the group stage of the European Football Championship. The selection, which includes the FC Barcelona man, still has no points, is at the bottom of Group D. The defeat against the Netherlands (1:2) was followed by another against Austria (1:3) – the last chances of reaching the round of 16 were gone just a few hours later.
The 0:0 draw between France and the Netherlands means that Poland has no chance of leaving fourth place even before the last group match day. The Netherlands and France (4 points each) are out of reach at the top, and Poland could still draw level with Austria (3 points). However, the direct comparison would then speak against Lewandowski’s team. The superstar was only substituted after an hour following his injury. However, he had little influence on his team’s game. Poland will play against France in Dortmund next Tuesday.
For Poland, it is their fourth failure in the preliminary round in their fifth European Championship appearance. In 2016 in France, the team reached the quarter-finals and were unfortunately eliminated in a penalty shootout by eventual European champions Portugal. The opponents’ chances of reaching the round of 16 are fully intact: All of Austria “deserved” this victory, said goalscorer Christoph Baumgartner, who fell into Rangnick’s arms after the 2-1 win. “He supported me every day, at half-time he told me that he needed me,” emphasised the RB Leipzig striker. “That’s why this is also a thank you to him.” Rangnick himself later spoke of the “most important game since I became team manager here. We are very happy with the win and also with the performance.”