How will Poland line up at UEFA Euro 2020?

For the first time, Poland qualified for a European Championship in 2008, and have been ever-presents since. That is to say, they have been in the three most recent European Championships.

Yet, Euro 2016 was the first time they made it out of the group stage with a jaunt to the quarter-finals. Therefore they are ranked 19th in the world and never exceeded the quarter-finals.

But bear in mind that it wasn't so long ago they were ranked as high as fifth actually less than three years ago, of course, it is not the most blistering of statistics, we'll grant you, but fairly decent enough.

After the passage of three years from their so-called disastrous World Cup in Russia, some has deemed it hard to suggest that their confidence has returned.

Aside from their defeats, how they performed was not that much inspiring, let alone a breakdown in the relationship between the team’s talisman star and their coach.

After the defeat against Italy when captain Robert Lewandowski was asked about coach Jerzy Brzeczek’s tactics, he stood in silence for a deafening nine seconds before eventually responding in such a way that still managed to implicitly criticise his boss.

Hence It is no wonder to see the tensions cost the boss his job as he was replaced with new manager Paulo Sousa to led the

Poland squad for Euro 2021

. But we would say in no uncertain terms, that never underestimate the power of having an undisputed world-beating star like Robert Lewandowski captaining the side.

Of course, we do not mean that one player makes a team, but honestly, they boast a decent squad at their disposal, including Arkadiusz Milik and young talents like Sebastian Szymanski.

After all, they have proved that they can withstand pressure which is vital for tournament football. Arguably this is the strongest Polish side in years and perhaps they won't lift the trophy, but don't count them out of going further into Euros than they have ever managed before.

How will Poland line up at UEFA Euro 2020?

While Poland is placed in a very tough group I which contains Spain, Slovakia and Sweden, Paulo Souza, the new manager, has picked 26 players who are capable to play in the

Poland Euro 2020 squad

as they are included here:

• Goalkeepers

  : Fabianski, Majecki, Skorupski, Szczesny

• Defenders

  : Bednarek, Bereszynski, Dawidowicz, Glik, Helik, Kedziora, Piatkowski, Puchacz, Rybus

• Midfielders

  : Frankowski, Jozwiak, Klich, Kozlowski, Krychowiak, Linetty, Moder, Placheta, Zielinski

• Forwards

  : Lewandowski, Kownacki, Milik, Swiderski, Swierczok

Besides Poland Group fixtures in Euro 2020 are as following: (All times CEST)

Monday 14 June (18:00):

Poland

vs

Slovakia

- St Petersburg

Saturday 19 June (21:00):

Spain

vs

Poland

- Seville

Wednesday 23 June (18:00):

Sweden

vs

Poland

- St Petersburg

It’s contentious to determine what approach Sousa will take in the areangment of the Poland Euro 2020 squad, but we do not presume it to be just exactly like the previous coach tactics of the 4-2-3-1 system.

Giving the presence of some older members of the squad like Kamil Glik and even Lewandowski himself,

Poland Euro 2020

can be the last opportunity to gain something special with the White Eagle on their chest.

So here comes a desperate need of a formation that would guarantee the winning of the games at any price and what better than to line up according to the arrangement of 3-4-1-2.

Lewandowski is currently the deadliest striker in football and the whole system is a set-up to get him as many chances in front of goal as possible. Therefore if Sousa can keep supplying him with chances, the sky is the limit for the Poland Euro 2020 squad.

This formation requires tremendous strikers with good stamina like Lewandowski and  Milik as well as a great playmaker as attacking midfield like Zielinski.

The formation works incredibly well in playing counter-attack if it would be armoured with two central mids who can both function as ball winner and deep-lying playmaker as the likes of Krychowiak and Klich.

At the same time, the defenders must be fast and technically sound especially in making the transition between formations to make the team focused on their attacking talents.

GK: Wojciech Szczesny

As a tall, promising, and gifted goalkeeper of Juventus, who possesses significant athleticism, he won his third consecutive league title in season 2020, as well as the Serie A Best Goalkeeper Award.

His 100th appearance in all competitions for

occurred on 20 September 2020 in the club's opening match of the season, in a 3–0 home victory over Sampdoria in Serie A, so he is experienced enough to play in the

Poland Euro 2020 squad

.

On the international stage, he has earned more than 50 caps for Poland since his debut in 2009, while he was among the nation's squad as they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012, also contributed in UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

CB: Jan Bednarek

As the third-best player of

, Jan Bednarek has won 144 aerial duels and 122 tackles and made a total of 22 blocks in season 2020/2021.

His international debut for Poland took place on 4 September 2017, in a 3–0 victory over Kazakhstan. In May 2018, his name was among Poland’s preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Finally, on 28 June 2018, he put away his first goal for Poland, as it was the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Japan at the World Cup. With these in mind he would presumably be eligible to be included in

Poland Euro 2020 squad

.

CB: Kamil Glik

Widely known for his leadership on the pitch,

has managed to win 112 aerial duels and 102 tackles along with making a total of 26 blocks for his club Benevento Calcio in season 2020/2021.

On the ground of these statistics and while he is ranked as the second-best player of his team, he would be utterly qualified to be part of the Poland Euro 2020 squad.

At the international level on 17 October 2012, he succeeded to score the equalising goal in a 2014 World Cup Qualifying game against England. He also played an indispensable role in Poland's Euro 2016 qualifying campaign and Euro 2016 campaign.

He flourishingly made the most clearances out of any other player in the tournament, and scored 2 penalties in two penalty shoot-outs; one of them in a 5–4 victory over Switzerland, and the next one in a 5–3 defeat to eventual champions Portugal.

CB: Michael Helik

Michael Helik has managed to rack up 6 goals and two assists for his club

in his 49 appearances that he has made in all competitions in season 2020/21. He put away his first goal for Barnsley in a 2–2 draw with Bristol City on 17 October 2020.

The 25-year-old’s spectacular performances at club level have been rewarded on the international stage since Poland boss handed in his debut in their first game of World Cup 2022 qualifying.

That is to say, his name was among the starting XI as he played 58 minutes in the 3-3 draw with Hungary in his debut on 25 March 2021. Therefore there is no wonder to see him in Poland Euro 2020 squad as a promising energetic player.

RWB: Bartosz Bereszynski

Being currently ranked as the 9th best player of UC

, he has managed to win 48 aerial duels and 78 tackles in season 2020/21. Besides he made a total of 18 blocks in this season for his club, therefore he might join Poland Euro 2020.

Moreover, his senior international debut for Poland took place in 2013 and in May 2018, his name was in Poland's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

LWB: Maciej Rybus

has managed to score 1 goal and provide 4 assists in his 37 appearances that he has made in all competitions for his club Lokomotiv Moscow in season 2021, playing a total number of 3.330 minutes for them.

On the international stage, his debut for the Poland national team against Romania occurred in November 2009. Then just in the following match against Canada, he put away his first goal.

Likewise, he represented Poland at the 2012 UEFA European Championships on June 4, 2013, in a friendly match with Liechtenstein (2: 0), as he fascinatingly managed to net the 1300th goal in the history of the Polish national team.

Besides, in May 2018 his name was in Poland's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, so he could be utterly prepared to play in Euro 2020 squad.

CM: Grzegorz Krychowiak

Grzegorz Krychowiak has managed to appear just 35 times while racking up 11 goals and 4 assists for his club

in all competitions in the 2020_21 season due to his muscle injury.

But he has earned over 70 caps for the Poland national football team since his international debut in 2008, as he represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2016 and FIFA World Cup 2018. That is exactly why he would most probably play in Poland Euro 2020 squad.

After the end of the World Cup, he featured in three out of the four matches in the UEFA Nations League, whereas Poland finished third in Group 3. Then he also started the whole UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches to made Poland qualified for the UEFA Euro 2020.

CM: Mateusz Klich

In season 2020_21,

's Premier League debut took place in just the first match of the season against Liverpool on 12 September 2020, when he put away his side's third goal in a jaw-dropping 3–4 defeat to the reigning champions.

Fascinatingly he netted again and provided an assist in Leeds' second game of the season, in a 4–3 victory at home over Fulham.

He continued to make his brilliant performance with an assist in Leeds' 0–3 win away at Aston Villa, while he also scored a penalty in a 1–2 defeat to West Ham. Such brilliant club results in this season are compelling enough to lead him through the Poland 2020 squad.

Not to mention that on 27 August 2018, after a four-year absence from the Poland national side, he was named in the Poland team in the matches with Italy and the Republic of Ireland due to his impressing performance for Leeds in scoring 3 goals and 1 assist in the first 5 games of the 2018–19 season.

On 7 September, he started for Poland in their UEFA Nations League 1–1 draw against Italy, as he was involved in the opening goal for Piotr Zieliński.

Besides on 11 September, he came off the bench in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland so as to score an 87th-minute equalizer, his second national team goal up to now.

AM: Piotr Zielinski

has managed to rack up 10 goals and 13 assists in his 47 appearances for his club Napoli through all competitions in season 2020_21.

While at the international level he has made around 59 caps and scored 6 goals since 2013 when he made his senior international debut for Poland in a friendly match against Liechtenstein.

Likewise, he was selected to represent Poland at UEFA Euro 2016 in France along with the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Thus in all probability, he would make up the Poland squad for Euro 2021 as well.

ST: Arkadiusz Milik

As a versatile and well-rounded left-footed forward, Arkadiusz Milik incredibly scored the winning spot-kick in a 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory of

over Juventus in the 2020 Coppa Italia Final.

He also joined Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille on 21 January 2021 and afterwards made his debut in a 3–1 loss against Monaco on 23 January.

But at the international level, his performance has skyrocketed as he put away the opening goal in a 2–0 victory over world champions Germany in a 2016 UEFA Euro qualifying match.

It goes without saying that Milik formed a successful strike partnership with Robert Lewandowski during qualification for the European Championships, as this would make his presence binding in Poland Euro 2020 squad.

Besides in Euro 2016, he managed to score for Poland in their opening game, as they beat Northern Ireland 1–0. He also contributed to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as his team was eliminated in the group stage.

ST: Robert Lewandowski

As one of the best strikers of all time,

is world-class in all sense of the word. Being voted as FIFA’s Best Men’s Player for 2020, he has won Polish Footballer of the Year nine times in the last 10 years.

As there is just no doubting his genius, undeniably he has brought a beacon of hope in the Poland Euro 2020 squad. He is capable of scoring goals of any kind, link play with his brilliant mind and great composure on the ball. He has succeeded to score over 500 senior career goals for club and country.

In 2020, he brilliantly won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award and the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award. Likewise on 17 January 2021, he became the first player in Bundesliga history to put away 21 goals after only 16 games.

On 22 May, he even beat Gerd Müller's record of 40 goals in the 1971–72 season with a 90th-minute goal in Bayern's 5–2 win over Augsburg to reach his 41st goal on the final day of the season. Not to mention, that he managed to win his first European Golden Shoe award as well.

At the international level, on 5 October 2017, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 victory over Armenia to take his tally to 50 goals for Poland, exceeding the previous record of 48 goals set by Włodzimierz Lubański to become the all-time top scorer for Poland.

In addition, he ended up the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with scoring 16 total goals, which is considered to be a record for a European World Cup qualifier.

He was also called up to the 23-man Polish squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia featured in every minute in all three matches, against Senegal, Colombia and Japan. Finally, these were just an overview of what he has achieved so far that has made him to be an indispensable component of Poland Euro 2020.

Read More:

Follow

for the