Euro 2024: Poland missing Lewandowski against Netherlands in opening game of Group D
Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during the international friendly soccer match between The Netherlands and Iceland at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Monday, June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Poland will be without injured captain Robert Lewandowski when it faces the Netherlands on Sunday in the first game of Group D at the European Championship. Also in the group are France and Austria. Kickoff in Hamburg is at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT). Here’s what to know about the match.
Poland's injured player Robert Lewandowski , rear left, and head coach Michal Probierz, rear right, attend a training session of Poland's national soccer team at the Eilenriedestadion in Hannover, Germany, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa via AP)
Match facts
— Poland was the last of the 24 teams confirmed in the Euro 2024 lineup, winning a playoff bracket final in March against Wales in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Lewandowski’s spot-kick to start the shootout was Poland’s first shot on target that evening in Cardiff.
— The Netherlands advanced from a qualifying group with France, losing home and away to the 2022 World Cup runner-up but winning its six other games against Greece, Ireland and Gibraltar.
Iceland's Johann Gudmundsson, right, and Netherlands' Memphis Depay, center, vie for the ball during the international friendly soccer match between The Netherlands and Iceland at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Monday, June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
— The Dutch swept to 4-0 victories in warm-up games against Canada and Iceland. Seven of those eight goals came in second-half play.
— The Poles and Dutch are in action more than a full day before their group opponents France and Austria start Monday evening. That gets them a full extra day of rest before the second round of games Friday.
Team news
— Lewandowski injured a thigh muscle Monday in a warm-up game against Turkey. The Barcelona forward should return to action during the group stage.
— Gone for the tournament is Poland’s other veteran forward Arkadiusz Milik of Juventus. He had knee surgery on an injury suffered in the previous warm-up against Ukraine.
— Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman lost an entire midfield in recent weeks because of injuries: Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona and Atalanta pair Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon all miss Euro 2024.
— Koeman called up wing-back Ian Maatsen and forward Joshua Zirkzee from their vacations.
By the numbers
— The Netherlands won its only European title when West Germany hosted in 1988. In Hamburg 36 years ago, the Dutch beat the hosts 2-1 in the semifinal played at Volksparkstadion. Current coach Ronald Koeman scored a penalty to level the game.
— The teams have never met before at a major tournament though this is their 20th game overall since the first one 56 years ago. Poland last beat the Netherlands in 1979.
— Poland’s record win at a Euros tournament is… 1-0. Playing in four straight editions starting in 2008, Poland got single-goal wins in the Euro 2016 group stage against Northern Ireland and Ukraine.
— The Netherlands has the tournament record win, 6-1 against FR Yugoslavia — then just the republics of Serbia and Montenegro — in the quarterfinals of Euro 2000 it co-hosted with Belgium.
What they’re saying
— “There has been progress in Robert Lewandowski’s recovery, so we hope he will come back for the game against Austria,” Poland coach Michał Probierz
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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
The Associated Press