Poland will be without injured captain Robert Lewandowski when it faces the Netherlands on Sunday in the first game of Group D at the European Championship. France and Austria are also in the group. Kickoff in Hamburg is at 3 pm local time (1300 GMT). Here's what to know about the match. (More Football News)
Match facts
Poland was the last of the 24 teams confirmed in the Euro 2024 line-up, winning a playoff bracket final in March against Wales in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Lewandowski's spot-kick to start the shootout was Poland's first shot on target that evening in Cardiff.
The Netherlands advanced from a qualifying group with France, losing home and away to the 2022 World Cup runner-up but winning its six other games against Greece, Ireland and Gibraltar.
The Dutch swept to 4-0 victories in warm-up games against Canada and Iceland. Seven of those eight goals came in second-half play.
The Poles and Dutch are in action for more than a full day before their group opponents France and Austria start Monday evening. That gets them a full extra day of rest before second round of games on Friday.
Team news
Lewandowski injured a thigh muscle Monday in a warm-up game against Turkey. The Barcelona forward should return to action during the group stage.
Gone for the tournament is Poland's other veteran forward Arkadiusz Milik of Juventus. He had knee surgery on an injury suffered in the previous warm-up against Ukraine.
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman lost an entire midfield in recent weeks because of injuries: Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona and Atalanta pair Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon all miss Euro 2024.
Koeman called up wing-back Ian Maatsen and forward Joshua Zirkzee from their vacations.
By the numbers
The Netherlands won its only European title when West Germany hosted in 1988. In Hamburg 36 years ago, the Dutch beat the hosts 2-1 in the semifinal played at Volksparkstadion. Current coach Ronald Koeman scored a penalty to level the game.
The teams have never met at a major tournament though this is their 20th game overall since the first one 56 years ago. Poland last beat the Netherlands in 1979.
Poland's record win at a Euros tournament is… 1-0. Playing in four straight editions starting in 2008, Poland got single-goal wins in the Euro 2016 group stage against Northern Ireland and Ukraine.
The Netherlands has the tournament record win, 6-1 against FR Yugoslavia then just the republics of Serbia and Montenegro — in the quarterfinals of Euro 2000 it co-hosted with Belgium.
What they're saying
“There has been progress in Robert Lewandowski's recovery, so we hope he will come back for the game against Austria,” Poland coach Michal Probierz
