Poland under pressure on match day two
The Poles were not really satisfied with their opener against Mexico, as Lewandowski and co. are now under pressure after the goalless draw last Tuesday. Despite a rather restrained offensive performance, the bookmakers see the Europeans with a clear advantage in the upcoming clash.
But is it really worth betting on Poland vs. Saudi Arabia? We don’t think so, because the corresponding odds are relatively low. Close games have been the order of the day for the 1972 Olympic champions and their opponents bring plenty of euphoria with them.
The Saudis, on the other hand, got off to the best possible start and caused probably the biggest surprise of the World Cup so far with their 2-1 victory over Argentina. It is no wonder that the Arabian Peninsula is already in a state of emergency, as it is almost a home World Cup for the world number 51.
The big question, however, is whether the recent result can be confirmed, because in the run-up to the tournament the performances of the group outsiders were rather modest. Whether the opener was merely a flash in the pan will be seen on Saturday.
In the end, our prediction for Poland vs. Saudi Arabia is that the underdogs are unlikely to put in another brilliant performance. After all, the favourites know what to expect this time and also have the defensive security to avoid conceding unnecessary goals. Nevertheless, we expect a relatively close affair.
Poland – Statistics & current form
This is the fourth time Poland have qualified for a World Cup finals in the new millennium, though the last time they made it past the group stage was in 1986. Now they want to make history and earn a place in the last 16. But a win on Saturday is a must!
Coach wants to see improvement
The rather uninspired performance in the opening match against Mexico does not necessarily suggest a goal spectacle against the group outsiders. In fact, Lewandowski and co. only managed six shots on goal on Tuesday, which is a new negative national record at World Cups.
Likewise, the star striker himself continues to be haunted by his World Cup curse, as despite Lewandowski’s fourth World Cup appearance, he has yet to score a single goal on this stage. He even failed from the penalty spot against Mexico recently. Coach Michniewicz has already called for more offensive efforts, because with Zielinski, Milik and also Szymanski, there are real experts at work up front.
Will goalkeeper Szeszny keep it tight again?
Szeszny has already kept his own box clean in the last two World Cup matches, the last time there were three World Cup matches without conceding a goal was in the 1970s. But also in the last two international matches before the big event, the back line stood zero, the defence around veteran Glik should be well adjusted and could again prove to be impregnable.
Even though we don’t deny the “White and Reds” the role of favourites, their betting odds on Poland vs. Saudi Arabia are too low for us to seriously consider.
Predicted line-up of Poland:
Szczesny – Cash, Glik, Kiwior, Bereszynski – Krychowiak – Kamiński, Zielinski, Szymanski, Zalewski – Lewandowski
Last matches played by Poland:
World Cup Group C
22/11/2022 – Mexico 0 – 0 Poland
Friendlies
16/11/2022 – Poland 1 – 0 Chile
UEFA Nations League A Grp. 4
26/09/2022 – Wales 0 – 1 Poland
23/09/2022 – Poland 0 – 2 Netherlands
15/06/2022 – Poland 0 – 1 Belgium
Saudi Arabia – Statistics & current form
Nobody would have expected this! Of all things, the absolute group outsiders toppled title favourites Argentina from their high horse and lead the table after the first matchday in Pool C. Are the good odds on Poland vs. Saudi Arabia now inviting bets on the underdog?
A look at the history almost denies the Arabs any chance of reaching the last 16, as nine of the last ten World Cup matches against European teams have been lost, with not a single goal scored in the past seven such duels.
2022 with modest record
Of a total of 13 international matches in the current calendar year, only four have been won, including the most recent victory in the seas. They lost to Japan, Venezuela and Colombia, among others. In addition, the pre-tournament friendlies have been sparse in terms of attacking opportunities, with only two goals scored in the last eight matches excluding the opening game.
Despite two goals against the “Albiceleste”, the relatively low scoring threat of the “Green Falcons” was also evident a few days ago, as the only two shots on goal resulted in the goals. It is hardly conceivable that a similar efficiency will be displayed on Saturday.
The bottom line is that in Poland vs. Saudi Arabia, we don’t think a bet on the second seed is particularly inviting. We put the win against weak Argentines in the “one-day wonder” category.
Predicted line-up of Saudi Arabia:
Al Oweis – Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Al Bulayhi, Al Shahrani – Al Malki – Al Birkan, Al Faraj, Kanno, Al Dawsari – Al Shehri
Last matches played by Saudi Arabia:
World Cup Group C
22/11/2022 – Argentina 1 – 2 Saudi Arabia
Friendly matches
16/11/2022 – Saudi Arabia 0 – 1 Croatia
10/11/2022 – Panama 1 – 1 Saudi Arabia
06/11/2022 – Saudi Arabia 1 – 0 Iceland
30/10/2022 – Saudi Arabia 0 – 0 Honduras
Poland – Saudi Arabia Direct comparison / H2H balance
The two nations have met four times so far, all of which have been friendlies. With three victories, Poland is clearly on top. The last comparison dates back to 2006, so who will be successful 16 years later?
Poland – Saudi Arabia bet
Just a simple comparison of the two teams in terms of their market value leaves the Polish selection as clear favourites. Overall, despite Poland’s opening surprise against Saudi Arabia, a prediction can be made on the Eastern Europeans. However, they have been exclusively involved in close games lately, it seems realistic that events will not necessarily turn over on Saturday either. The hoped-for victory will probably be a hard slog for the supposed favourites.
Since the Arabs have not been convincing offensively at all in 2022 apart from the World Cup opener and the “White and Reds” are always safe at the back, a bet against both sides scoring is a good choice in our view. The bookmakers are offering odds of around 1.80 on Poland vs. Saudi Arabia.
