Poland vs Estonia

Warsaw’s PGE Narodowy is the venue as Poland and Estonia go head-to-head in their Euro 2024 play-off semi-final tie.

Despite failing to qualify for Euro 2024 through traditional qualification means, Poland’s UEFA Nations League exploits have granted them a lifeline. Bidding to reach the Euro finals for the fifth time on the trot, Michael Probierz’s men come into proceedings amidst a mini-revival, having gone unbeaten in their last four internationals (W2, D2). Ranked 93 places above their visitors in the FIFA men’s ranking, the Eagles are odds-on favorites to book tickets for the playoffs final, especially as they enjoy the home comforts of the PGE Narodowy. Indeed, the Poles are unbeaten in their last seven outings on home soil (W5, D2). Since all those five victories came ‘to nil,’ breaking the deadlock would go a long way in moving Poland a step closer to the Euros.

On the other hand, Estonia’s hopes of reaching their first Euro finals as an independent nation suffered an epic disaster in the qualifying campaign as they returned just one point from eight games (D1, L7), not to mention a humiliating -24 goal difference (GF:2, GA:26). However, there’s still an alternate way to Germany, though it’ll require the Baltic minnows to upset the apple cart in their first competitive match against Poland. After losing seven of their first eight friendlies against this opposition (D1), the Estonians won their last such encounter in 2012, running out 1-0 victors. Replicating that result in Warsaw looks highly improbable as they take this trip amid a dreadful 11-game winless streak (D2, L9).