England vs Poland

Wembley Stadium is the venue, as England and Poland face off in a Group I 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

England got off to a fantastic start, winning their two Group I fixtures against San Marino and Albania by an aggregate score of 7-0. That start is part of their brilliant run in the qualifying series that has seen the ‘Three Lions’ lose just one of their last 49 World Cup/Euro qualifying outings. Additionally, Gareth Southgate’s men are enjoying a resounding 29-game unbeaten home streak in qualifying matches for major tournaments (W26, D3), notably winning each of the last 19! In turn, going back to 1989, the hosts have come out victorious in all seven competitive home H2Hs by an aggregate score of 17-3, scoring at least twice in each meeting. They are now betting favorites to claim another triumph, having won each of their last three home fixtures overall by over 2.5 goals ‘to nil.’

On the other hand, Poland saw the opener scored within 30 minutes and netted precisely three goals at full-time in both of their opening Group I matches but managed to win just one (W1, D1). Encouragingly, the ‘White and Reds’ have suffered only three reverses in their previous 32 games in World Cup/EURO qualifiers (W23, D6), scoring over 1.5 goals in each of the last six (2.66 on average). Much of their attacking output will hinge on Robert Lewandowski, who has netted nine goals in his last nine starts for the national team. Worryingly, though, Paulo Sosa’s men have performed in patches on the road lately, frustratingly falling behind in four of their last five away matches (W2, D1, L2). Furthermore, Poland have secured just a single victory in 19 encounters against England (D7, L11), courtesy of a 2-0 home win in a World Cup qualifier in June 1973.