Scotland vs Poland Preview, Prediction, Lineups and Team News | Nations League

Scotland vs Poland Preview

• Tournament: UEFA Nations League.
• Date: Thursday, September 5.
• Kickoff Time: 6:45 PM GMT.
• Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland.

Scotland vs Poland will be the first Group A game in this year’s UEFA Nations League as both nations will look to get off to a strong start.

The Scots put in a respectable display in the last edition of the tournament, finishing top of Group 1 in League B with 13 points from six games, beating Ukraine to the top spot by two points. However, their poor performance in Euro 2024 will be a cause of concern as they bowed out at the Group Stage with just one point from their three games.

Steve Clarke’s men will have to navigate a much trickier group this time around, with Portugal and Croatia making up the rest of League A Group 1. Considering they have one of the more settled squads in the group, they will look to do their best.

The Poles, on the other hand, languished in third place in League A Group 4 in the last cycle of the Nations League. They finished third in their group behind leaders Netherlands and Belgium with just two wins from their six games. Euro 2024 did not bring much luck either as Poland bowed out without registering a win and were bottom of Group D.

Michal Probierz and his men will look to put their woes behind them and will enter this tournament looking to set up a strong foundation for future success with a win.

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Scotland vs Poland Team News

Scotland National Football Team News

The Scots have largely kept the same squad they took to Germany for Euro 2024, with manager Clarke opting for minor changes. Striker Che Adams is joined by James Forrest, Robby McCrorie & Greg Taylor among the list of those omitted. Meanwhile, Connor Barron, Josh Doig, and Jon McCracken have been included in the squad. Defender Kieran Tierney will also miss out due to an injury.

Poland National Football Team News

Probierz and his men endured a challenging Euro 2024 campaign and the manager will look to move on from that disappointment as he has named three fresh faces in the Polish squad. Mateusz Bogusz, Bartosz Mrozek and Mateusz Kowalczyk are the three debutants in the 27-man squad to face Scotland and Croatia, with old heads like Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski will also be a part of the squad as they look to make a fresh start.

Predicted Lineups

Scotland (3-4-2-1)

Angus Gunn (GK); Scott McKenna, Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry; Andrew Robertson (C), Callum McGregor, Billy Gilmour, Anthony Ralston; Scott McTominay, John McGinn; Lawrence Shankland.

Poland (5-3-2)

Lukasz Skorupski (GK); Przemyslaw Frankowski, Jan Bednarek, Pawel Dawidowicz, Jakub Kiwior, Nicola Zalewski; Sebastian Szymanski, Jakub Moder, Piotr Zielinski; Kacper Urbanski, Robert Lewandowski (C).

Scotland vs Poland Head-to-Head Record

These two nations have faced each other just four times in the past, with three of those games ending in draws, with Scotland registering one win all the way back in 2014.

Last 4 Games

• Scotland 1-1 Poland [International Friendly, 25/03/22]
• Scotland 2-2 Poland [Euro Qualifiers, 09/10/15]
• Poland 2-2 Scotland [Euro Qualifiers, 15/10/14]
• Poland 0-1 Scotland [International Friendly, 06/03/14]

Key Players to Watch

Andrew Robertson (Scotland)

The Scottish skipper will look to propel his side to a positive result despite the odds being stacked against them. He has made a strong start to club life at Liverpool under new manager Arne Slot and looks to be in good shape ahead of this game. Robertson will be gearing up to make his 75^th appearance for his country and his leadership will be crucial.

Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Lewandowski is Poland’s all-time top scorer, having netted 82 times in 151 games so far, also providing 33 assists. His ability to turn games single-handedly is something his teammates will look towards and hope that he is firing on all cylinders when the time comes. Having captained his nation for a while now, the pressure will be on him to lead from the front.

Scotland vs Poland Prediction

Both sides have had their fair share of issues and have also played out three draws in their four meetings, pointing towards the same result once again in the next game. Although Scotland will have a home advantage, Poland will not give up without a fight, setting up a mouth-watering prospect for the neutral fan to watch. Both teams are expected to score, though, considering the talent they have in attack.

Prediction: Scotland 2-2 Poland.

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