On November 22, the teams of Quartet C – Mexico and Poland will meet at the World Championship.
Estimated compositions
Mexico (4-3-3): Ochoa – Sanchez, Gallardo, Araujo, Montes – Alvarez, Rodriguez, Guardado – Lozano, Vega, Martin
Poland (3-5-2): Szczesny – Glik, Bednarek, Kiver – Cash, Zalewski, Szymanski, Zelinski, Belik – Lewandowski, Schwiederski
Judge
The match will be refereed by a team led by Australian referee Chris Beath.
stage
The match will take place in Doha at the 974 Stadium.
Mexico
Mexico are preparing for their eighth consecutive World Cup participation, having been eliminated in the top 16 at each of the last seven World Cups.
Former Argentina manager and Argentine international Gerardo Martino has been instructed to break this cycle in Qatar as he has been in charge since January 2019.
The 60-year-old coach, who spent a season at Barcelona before moving to Argentina in 2014, led Mexico to an eighth CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph by beating the United States in the 2019 final before the Americans retaliated against him two years after. .
Mexico’s place in the World Cup was secured with a 2–0 win over El Salvador on the final match day, when they tied Canada on points atop CONCACAF qualifying and were three points clear of Costa Rica.
Whether they have the talent at their disposal to seriously try and reach the top 8 for the first time since the tournament was held in 1986 remains to be seen, but their next game against Poland could be decisive for qualification for Group C.
Poland
Poland, meanwhile, are looking to clear the group stage for the first time since Mexico ’86, and their first game against that nation is likely to be decisive as second favorites Argentina also play in their group.
In each of their last three World Cup games in 2002, 2006 and 2018, the Eagles have cleared the first hurdle, winning one and losing two in each of those editions, failing to finish third in 1974 and 1982.
Former Legia manager Czesław Mikhniewicz was appointed head coach earlier this year, almost immediately becoming a hero in the position, leading the Poles to a 2-0 victory over Sweden in the play-off qualifying round to reach Qatar .
As has so often happened over the past decade, their hopes of a strong performance in a major tournament depend largely on the form of legendary striker Robert Lewandowski, who is yet to score in a World Cup, having failed to score in all three matches in 2018.
The 34-year-old will be determined to correct this unwanted record against Mexico on Tuesday and possibly take his country to second place in Group C.
Bartlomiej Drongowski, Jacek Guralski and Adam Buksa all left their team due to injuries. Lewandowski was on the bench during Chile’s 1-0 friendly win on Wednesday, while Mihnevich opted to keep his talisman fresh for the tournament.
Face to face meetings
Poland and Mexico are level in head-to-head matches and have won three of the eight matches the sides have played. The previous meeting between Mexico and Poland at the World Cup was in 1978 and ended in a 3-1 victory for Poland. Mexico has played 57 World Cup matches without ever reaching the final, more than any other country in the competition. Mexico have qualified for the World Cup play-offs in the last eight editions of the competition, with the previous failure in 1978. Mexico kept eight clean sheets during the qualifying campaign, more than any other team in the CONCACAF table. Poland qualified for their ninth World Cup but hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since 1986.
Prediction for the match Mexico – Poland
Poland has grown in prestige over the past decade, but has been unlucky in the international arena. Robert Lewandowski is in impressive form this season and will have to show his best in a tough group. Mexico has consistently won World Cups in the past, but before this match they have a few issues that need to be addressed. There doesn’t seem to be much in common between the two countries apart from the obvious star forward leading the line for Poland. Both teams will be aware of the importance of this match in terms of qualifying for the group stage and may fear losing it. Both teams are equal on paper and could draw on Tuesday. At the same time, I think both teams will attack and be able to score. Prediction – both teams to score – yes.
