In a significant setback for Poland, key players Robert Lewandowski and Karol Swiderski sustained injuries during a 2-1 victory over Turkey in a Euro 2024 warm-up match on Monday. The game began on a high note for Poland when Lewandowski assisted Swiderski’s opening goal in the 12th minute. However, the celebration turned sour as Swiderski injured his ankle and had to leave the field.
Poland’s captain and all-time leading goal-scorer, Lewandowski, was forced off in the 32nd minute with a right leg injury. This injury compounded Poland’s woes, coming just days after Arkadiusz Milik, another vital forward, damaged his left knee in a friendly against Ukraine. Milik, who returned to Juventus for successful knee surgery on Monday, had been expected to partner with Lewandowski in the European Championship.
With Poland’s Euro 2024 campaign set to kick off against the Netherlands in Hamburg on Sunday, the team faces a race against time for the recovery of their star strikers. Turkey posed a formidable challenge in the second half, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making key saves before Baris Alper Yilmaz’s deflected shot leveled the score. Poland secured the win in the 90th minute thanks to Nicola Zalewski’s stunning solo effort, marking his first international goal.
While Poland is left anxious about the fitness of their forwards, the Netherlands showcased their attacking prowess with consecutive 4-0 victories in their warm-up matches. In Rotterdam, they dominated Iceland, with goals from Virgil van Dijk, Wout Weghorst, and Xavi Simons, who scored his first goal for the national team. Donyell Malen added another, though Memphis Depay’s effort was disallowed by VAR due to a handball.
In another warm-up match, the Czech Republic narrowly defeated North Macedonia 2-1, relying on two second-half penalties. After a 7-1 thrashing of Malta, the Czechs fielded a largely different lineup. Patrik Schick’s penalty opened the scoring, but North Macedonia quickly equalized through Isnik Alimi. The Czechs clinched victory in the dying moments with an Antonin Barak penalty. Their preparations were marred by the injury withdrawal of midfielder Michal Sadilek, who suffered a shin injury in an accident during a day off.
As Euro 2024 approaches, teams are fine-tuning their squads and strategies, but injuries to key players like Lewandowski, Swiderski, and Milik highlight the unpredictable nature of tournament preparations. Poland, in particular, will be hoping for swift recoveries to maintain their competitive edge in the upcoming matches.