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Sports Mole previews Thursday’s International Friendlies clash between Poland and New Zealand, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Poland put their World Cup qualifying duties to one side this Thursday night as they prepare to host New Zealand in an international friendly.
The Poles are still in the early days of a new era following a change of head coach, while the All Whites are trying to build momentum ahead of their first World Cup appearance since 2010.
Match preview
There is a new feeling of optimism around the Polish national side, who have picked up a couple of encouraging results following a change of leadership.
Michal Probierz was given his marching orders in June following a high-profile dispute with star striker Robert Lewandowski, paving the way for Jan Urban to take the top job.
The 63-year-old represented Poland as a striker during the 1986 World Cup and has made an impressive start to his new job, earning a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands and picking up a 3-1 success over Finland during the previous international break.
Qualification for the 2026 World Cup is far from assured, and Poland will be looking to use Thursday’s friendly as a momentum builder for their three remaining qualifying fixtures.
New Zealand, meanwhile, head to Chorzow knowing that their spot at next summer’s World Cup is already secured – their first tournament appearance since the 2010 edition in South Africa.
The All Whites took advantage of a FIFA rule change which saw the top qualifier from the Oceania Football Confederation earn direct entry into the World Cup.
Darren Bazeley’s side powered through their qualifying group, winning all three of their matches against Tahiti, Vanuatu and Samoa – scoring a total of 19 goals along the way.
New Zealand continued to impress in the final qualifying stage, picking up a 7-0 win over Fiji before sealing their ticket to North America with a 3-0 victory over New Caledonia.
Bazeley and his men are now on a mission to build momentum and test themselves against high-level opposition before the tournament, leading them to set up friendlies with the likes of Norway, Colombia, Ecuador and Poland.
Poland form (all competitions):
W W W L D W
New Zealand form (all competitions):
W W W L L L
Team News
Poland’s greatest striker, Lewandowski, who has scored 86 goals in 160 appearances for his nation, has made himself available for October’s international break.
Another veteran, Kamil Grosicki, has also answered the call of his nation, with the 37-year-old returning to the squad for the first time since June.
Aston Villa’s Matty Cash, FC Porto’s Jan Bednarek and Inter Milan’s Piotr Zielinski are the other high-profile members of the squad.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are dealing with a handful of injuries ahead of the match.
Forward Eli Just and defender Dalton Wilkins have both pulled out of the squad due to injuries. Instead, Wellington Phoenix defender Lukas Kelly-Heald has been added to the team.
Chris Wood, who recently scored for Nottingham Forest in the Europa League, will be looking to add to his impressive 45-goal tally for the All Whites.
Poland possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Kiwior, Bednarek, Wisniewski, Cash; Szymanski, Slisz, Zielinski; Kapustka, Lewandowski, Kaminski
New Zealand possible starting lineup:
Crocombe; De Vries, Bindon, Surman, Payne; Thomas, Bell, Singh; Old, Wood, Waine
We say: Poland 3-1 New Zealand
Both these nations will be looking to use this fixture as a momentum builder, though Poland are favourites to come away with a victory.
The hosts have a wealth of quality in their squad, and they should be able to break down a New Zealand side which does not get to test itself against top opposition on a regular basis.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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