FIFA World Cup Group H - Poland vs Senegal - Preview and Premium Match Tip

  • In Charles Meshell
  • Tue, Jun 19th, 2018 9:30:49 am
  • By Charles Meshell - ROI Capper


Preview of the first Group H match for the 2018 World Cup where Poland and Senegal take to the pitch.

FIFA World Cup Group G - Poland vs Senegal 

The final group in the World Cup table goes off the board on Tuesday, with what many believe to be the most balanced four-some in the field, predicting the overall winner could prove to be a challenge.

Colombia enters as the the projected favorite to advance, after the South Americans shocked many with their deep run while in Brazil 2014. Now 'La Tricolor' have an added pressure to duplicate their accomplishment's from four years ago,  we will now see if the Colombians can live up too their added expectations.

Poland, Senegal and Japan all have a fighters chance to place their names in the Round of 16. We should expect a highly competitive set of affairs between these aspiring nations, which should be a true joy to witness over the next few weeks.  


62061 Poland vs 62062 Senegal 

Otkrytie Arena, Moscow, Russia

6-19-2018 - 11:00 am ET 

The Russian capital is set to host the second match of Group G, with Poland and Senegal scheduled to share the pitch on Tuesday, we should certainly be in store for a truly entertaining fixture from these dark-horse sides.

Poland make their return to the World Cup after a twelve year absence, but this version of the Eagles are ready to have a better showing than their predecessors, who failed to exit the group stage in Germany.

Adam Nawałka enters Russia as one of the more tenured managers in the field, after being placed in charge of the Eagles 2013, Nawałka turned the program around and led this once under-performing nation to it's 8th World Cup appearance in their footballing history.

The Polish task-master has the benefit of one of the more feared strikers in the world leading his 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bayern Munich man Robert Lewandowski manning the center-forward position in Poland's attack.

Lewandowsi has flourished within Nawalka's tactical change in alignment, the Eagles danger man came alive during European qualifiers, netting 16 goals in route too topping their European table. 

The Poland attack is just not limited to the Bavarian tally's man, as Arkadiusz MilikPiotr Zielinski and Karol Linetty are expected to help carry the load while in the attacking half of the pitch. The trio of Eagle front-line player's have had issues with consistent playing time with their club teams, giving them a great opportunity to show their true class while in Russia.

The true back-bone of the team is in question against Senegal, with defender Kamil Glik picking up a in jury leading up to the start of the tournament. The Monaco man has still not been officially ruled out of Tuesday's match, giving Poland hope their star defender can make his presence felt in the starting eleven, and re-enforce the spine of the Eagles defense. 

Adam Nawałka may find getting off to a fast start a challenge in group play, with several members of his 23 man roster failing to get regular time at club level, we could see a lack of overall cohesion to start the tournament from the Eagles, which could place them in a early hole in this highly competitive group.

The Polish goal-keeping duties fall with two likely candidates in Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, although Fabianski has seen more action with Swansea City, Szczesny seems to have the bigger upside as he steps into the starting role with Italian giants Juventus next season.


Poland were quite impressive during qualifiers, topping their group by five points in route too Russia, while scoring an average of 1.8 Goals per match, during their last 10 European World Cup Qualifying fixtures. 


The Eagles were inconsistent on the back-end and have found keeping clean-sheets a challenge, conceding an average of 1.4 Goals per match, during their last 10 European World Cup Qualifying fixtures. 

Senegal also make their long awaited return to FIFA's top tournament, after last participating in a World Cup event in 2002The 'Lions of Teranga' now send this new generation of players to Russia with little expectations from the outside world, but internally and through-out the footballing community, many are aware of how much talent and athleticism are spread throughout the 23 man roster.

Aliou Cissé truly earned his spot as the national team manager, after leading the Under 23's for several years, Cissé was rewarded with the opportunity to guide his beloved homeland to Russia.

The Senegalese are considered an inexperienced unit on the International stage, regardless they are loaded with athleticism throughout the squad. The African representatives are certain to give each team they encounter all they can handle over the course of 90 minutes.

The most recognized face on the team is that of Sadio Mané, the Liverpool attacking midfielder has had a tremendous 2017-2018 campaign to date.  Mané not only helped his club side reach the Champions League finals, but he was truly inspirational during qualifications to the World Cup.

Mané will once again carry the mantle as the top play-maker with this talented side, using his electric pace to break down opposing defenses and cause havoc with the ball at his feet, while setting up others and finishing the final product in the final third of the pitch.

The remaining front-line players are no slouches, with Keita Balde, M’Baye Niang, Ismaila Sarr and Diafra Sakho who are all fully capable of creating plenty of space within Senegal's 4-2-3-1 - 4-3-3 formation, giving Poland a plethora of challenges heading into Tuesday's match. 

The Senegal back-line is also in good hands, with Kalidou Koulibaly handling the center back duties, the Napoli defender is a true hulking presence on the back-end. Koulibaly also offers a true threat on the offensive end, his size in the box and rare passing abilities make him a key figure to Senegal's overall success.


Senegal have shown the potential to be a truly explosive team when going forward in attack, during a grueling qualifying campaign they scored an average of 1.6 Goals per match, during their last 6 African World Cup Qualifying fixtures.


The Lions of Teranga also take great pride on the defensive side of the ball, conceding a respectful 0.5 Goals per match, during their last 6 African World Cup Qualifying fixtures.

Prediction:


This Group H match-up features two national teams who enjoy moving forward, and are always looking to put the ball in the back of the net.

Poland enter Tuesday's fixture having scored 2 plus goals in 9 of the last 10 FIFA competitions they have been involved in, while Senegal are also riding their own positive scoring form, placing 2 plus Goals on the board in 7 of the last 8 FIFA matches they have competed in.

Both squads are also built around legitimate superstars on the European platform, with Robert Lewandowski and Sadio Mané drawing the majority of the attention from their opposing defenders, their supporting casts should see plenty of opportunities to break the match open.

Expect a highly entertaining affair from these two International upstarts, after several years away from this prestigious event, either team should hold back from giving all they have while on Russian soil.

*World Cup Premium Tips:  3-0-0

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