2 years ago
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Robert Lewandowski scored his archetypal World Cup extremity arsenic Poland earned a important triumph implicit Saudi Arabia that leaves Group C wide open.
The Barcelona striker capitalised connected an mistake by Saudi Arabia midfielder Abdelulelah Al Malki earlier sending a composed decorativeness past onrushing goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais.
Lewandowski was visibly affectional aft ending a tally of 4 World Cup games without uncovering the net.
Piotr Zielinski had fixed Poland a first-half pb from Lewandowski's cutback, but Saudi Arabia were awarded a punishment 5 minutes aboriginal for Krystian Bielik's foul connected Saleh Al Shehri.
Wojciech Szczesny kept retired Feras Al Brikan's effort earlier producing a sensational one-handed halt to forestall Mohammed Al Burayk from burying the rebound.
Saud Abdulhamid was denied by Sczcesny and Al Brikan changeable implicit the barroom successful the 2nd half, portion Arkadiusz Milik and Lewandowski were some denied by the woodwork arsenic Poland sought to treble their pb connected the counter-attack.
Lewandowski's precocious onslaught ended Saudi Arabia's hopes of gathering connected Tuesday's remarkable triumph implicit Argentina and boosts Poland's hopes of reaching the past 16 for the archetypal clip since 1986, erstwhile they were beaten 4-0 by Brazil successful the archetypal knockout round.
Czeslaw Michniewicz's squad request conscionable 1 constituent against Argentina connected Wednesday to suffice from Group C, portion Saudi Arabia look Mexico for a spot successful the past 16.
Wasteful Saudi Arabia rue missed opportunities
Lewandowski volition bargain the headlines aft breaking his World Cup duck, but Saudi Arabia volition beryllium bitterly frustrated not to person preserved their unbeaten commencement to the tourney successful Qatar aft uncovering Sczcesny successful inspired form.
Backed by a fervent and partisan assemblage wrong Education City Stadium, Saudi Arabia applied dense aboriginal unit and were denied a superb opener erstwhile the erstwhile Arsenal goalkeeper palmed Mohammed Kanno's ferocious thrust implicit the crossbar.
Poland looked progressively rattled arsenic the Green Falcons continued to swarm guardant successful waves, but Bielik's goal-bound header was cleared to information by Al Shehri earlier Zielinski gave them the pb with their archetypal changeable connected target.
Bielik's situation connected Al Shehri soon earlier half-time initially went unpunished by referee Wilton Sampaio, but the Brazilian showed nary hesitation successful pointing to the spot aft reviewing the incidental connected his pitchside monitor.
If Szczesny's prevention from Al Brikan's spot-kick was impressive, his fingertip halt from Al Burayk's follow-up effort was spectacular - and volition instrumentality immoderate beating astatine this World Cup.
There was small alteration to the signifier of play successful the 2nd half, with Szczesny redeeming astatine the feet of Abdulhamid and Al Brikan sending a fierce, left-footed changeable implicit the bar.
But Poland remained a menace connected the counter-attack and struck the woodwork done some Milik and Lewandowski, and past it was Al Malki's dense interaction that talented the Barcelona frontman his archetypal extremity astatine the tourney and ended Saudi Arabia's hopes of clinching their spot successful the past 16 with 1 crippled to spare.
Lewandowski could person doubled his tally successful stoppage time, but Al Owais kept retired the striker's effort with a beardown hand.
How to play
Rate players retired of 10 passim oregon aft the game. The rater volition adjacent 30 minutes aft the last whistle.
Rating scope key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection
Poland
Squad number1Player nameSzczesny
Squad number2Player nameCash
Squad number14Player nameKiwior
Squad number15Player nameGlik
Squad number18Player nameBereszynski
Squad number20Player nameZielinski
Squad number6Player nameBielik
Squad number10Player nameKrychowiak
Squad number24Player nameFrankowski
Squad number7Player nameMilik
Squad number9Player nameLewandowski
Squad number13Player nameKaminski
Squad number23Player namePiatek
Saudi Arabia
Squad number21Player nameMohammed Al Owais
Squad number12Player nameSaud Abdulhamid
Squad number4Player nameAbdulelah Al Amri
Squad number5Player nameAli Al Bulayhi
Squad number6Player nameMohammed Al Burayk
Squad number8Player nameAbdulelah Al Malki
Squad number9Player nameFeras Al Brikan
Squad number16Player nameSami Al Naji
Squad number23Player nameMohammed Kanno
Squad number10Player nameSalem Al Dawsari
Squad number11Player nameSaleh Al Shehri
Squad number2Player nameSultan Al Ghannam
Squad number18Player nameNawaf Al Abid
Squad number19Player nameHattan Bahbri
Squad number20Player nameAbdulrahman Al Obud
Squad number24Player nameNasser Al Dawsari
Line-ups
Poland
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Szczesny
- 2CashBooked astatine 16mins
- 14KiwiorBooked astatine 15mins
- 15Glik
- 18Bereszynski
- 20ZielinskiSubstituted forKaminskiat 63'minutes
- 6Bielik
- 10Krychowiak
- 24Frankowski
- 7MilikBooked astatine 19minsSubstituted forPiatekat 71'minutes
- 9Lewandowski
Substitutes
- 3Jedrzejczyk
- 4Wieteska
- 5Bednarek
- 8Szymanski
- 11Grosicki
- 12Skorupski
- 13Kaminski
- 16Swiderski
- 17Zurkowski
- 19Szymanski
- 21Zalewski
- 22Grabara
- 23Piatek
- 25Gumny
- 26Skóras
Saudi Arabia
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 21Al Owais
- 12Abdulhamid
- 4Al AmriBooked astatine 45mins
- 5Al Bulayhi
- 6Al BuraykSubstituted forAl Ghannamat 65'minutes
- 8Al Wahbi Al MalkiBooked astatine 21minsSubstituted forAl Obudat 85'minutes
- 9Al Brikan
- 16Al NajiSubstituted forAl Abidat 45'minutesSubstituted forBahbriat 90+5'minutes
- 23Kanno
- 10Al Dawsari
- 11Al ShehriSubstituted forAl Shardan Al Dawsariat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Al Rubaie Al Yami
- 2Al Ghannam
- 3Madu
- 14Otayf
- 15Al Hassan
- 17Al Tambakti
- 18Al Abid
- 19Bahbri
- 20Al Obud
- 22Al Suweiti Al Aqidi
- 24Al Shardan Al Dawsari
- 25Asiri
Referee:Wilton Pereira Sampaio
Attendance:44,259
Live Text
Match ends, Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 0.
Second Half ends, Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 0.
Attempt missed. Mohammed Kanno (Saudi Arabia) close footed changeable from extracurricular the container is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Salem Al Dawsari.
Substitution, Saudi Arabia. Hattan Bahbri replaces Nawaf Al Abid.
Corner, Poland. Conceded by Abdulrahman Al Obud.
Corner, Poland. Conceded by Sultan Al Ghannam.
Attempt saved. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) close footed changeable from the close broadside of the container is saved successful the centre of the goal.
Foul by Nasser Al Dawsari (Saudi Arabia).
Krzysztof Piatek (Poland) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Attempt missed. Abdulrahman Al Obud (Saudi Arabia) header from the close broadside of the six gait container is conscionable a spot excessively high. Assisted by Nasser Al Dawsari with a cross.
Substitution, Saudi Arabia. Nasser Al Dawsari replaces Saleh Al Shehri.
Substitution, Saudi Arabia. Abdulrahman Al Obud replaces Abdulelah Al Malki.
Abdulelah Al Malki (Saudi Arabia) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Jakub Kaminski (Poland).
Goal! Poland 2, Saudi Arabia 0. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) near footed changeable from the centre of the container to the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Krzysztof Piatek (Poland) header from the centre of the container is precocious and wide to the left. Assisted by Jakub Kaminski with a cross.
Foul by Feras Al Brikan (Saudi Arabia).
Bartosz Bereszynski (Poland) wins a escaped footwear connected the near wing.
Attempt missed. Abdulelah Al Malki (Saudi Arabia) near footed changeable from the centre of the container is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Sultan Al Ghannam (Saudi Arabia).
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