SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Poland's Blaszczykowski nets winner to boost Euro 2016 chances

WARSAW (Reuters) - Jakub Blaszczykowski's first-half goal gave Poland a 1-0 win in an evenly-contested friendly against Serbia on Wednesday, as the Euro 2016 qualifiers struggled to break down a rock-solid Serbian defence.

Poland's Blaszczykowski nets winner to boost Euro 2016 chances
(Reuters)

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

Blaszczykowski, who is on loan at Fiorentina, found space in the area and scored in the 28th minute with a seemingly-effortless first-time shot after Serbia had failed to clear their lines.

The 30-year-old winger has recently fallen out of favour at the Italian club, but improved his chances of earning a place at the Euros in June and July with a performance that overshadowed his more heralded team mates Robert Lewandowski and Arek Milik.

Playing on a rain-soaked pitch in the western Polish town of Poznan, the hosts struggled on the flanks against Serbia's experienced full backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Branislav Ivanovic.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Poland coach Adam Nawalka fielded a largely full-strength side that featured Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak and Torino defender Kamil Glik, but Serbia managed to keep them at bay for most of the game.

It was a physical encounter as Serbia fought tenaciously in midfield, with Lewandowski almost forced off the pitch through injury following a tackle early in the game.

Poland are in Group C at Euro 2016 along with world champions Germany, Ukraine and Northern Ireland.

(Editing by Toby Davis)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world