Poland vs Croatia

Poland’s League A status in the UEFA Nations League is on the line as they take on Croatia in a high-stakes fixture at the PGE Narodowy.

With the pressure building on head coach Michal Probierz, after a 3-1 home defeat to Portugal left Poland with only one win from their last six internationals (D1, L4), the Poles know anything other than avenging a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture would likely deny them maiden Nations League qualification. Another defeat could put the Eagles in an awkward position ahead of the final two matchdays and jeopardize the top-tier status they’ve been jealously keeping hold of since the tournament’s inception in 2018. After being knocked down from an eye-catching ten-match unbeaten home streak by Portugal (W8, D2), Poland’s underwhelming run without a clean sheet stands at seven internationals, highlighting the importance of grabbing multiple goals against a Croatia team they’ve only defeated once in their six previous H2Hs (D1, L4).

In the meantime, VAR came to Croatia’s rescue in a 2-1 home win against Scotland last weekend, denying the visitors’ last-minute equalizer in Zagreb to keep the Blazers in the running for playoff qualification. After a 2-1 day-one loss to Portugal, they’ve bounced back with back-to-back wins to stay within a three-point distance of the table-topping ‘Selecao.’ Zlatko Dalic’s lads aren’t strangers to standout results in the Nations League, as they finished runners-up in the previous cycle. Croatia will take this must-win trip in a buoyant mood after keeping a clean sheet in their last four encounters against Poland. It’s also worth noting that they’ve only lost twice on eight international travels (W6) since winning the bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.