They were supposed to be the leaders. Now they face off at 20:00 in Kazan in a match where both Poland and Colombia will try to stay alive.
What happened with Poland? One of the most exciting teams that always plays inspired football and loves to compete vanished in thin air against Senegal. The Polish were unstable, insecure, outgunned and outplayed. All they can do now is pick up the pieces and try to move on. Colombia will not make that process easy. Despite losing a man early, they were on a level playing field with the Japanese for a long time. James Rodriguez’s pre-game injury must have affected the squad and definitely affected him. He was abnormally nervous and aggressive after coming on as a sub.
The midfield was non-existent for The White and Reds and that’s something Adam Nawalka will have to address. Karol Linetty is one player who could partner up with Piotr Zielinski and Grzegorz Krychowiak and perhaps bring some stability. There were simply too many wingers on the pitch. Blaszczykowski, Grosicki and Rybus are all players who prefer to hug the line rather than to penetrate the center of the pitch. Kamil Glik’s absence was also noticeable. Cionek looked nervous and was partially guilty for both Senegal goals, Lukasz Piszczek, who’s the one player other than Lewandowski the Polish thought they can rely on had a poor game as well, while Arkadiusz Milik was invisible. Maybe Nawalka opts for Lukasz Teodorczyk this time around.
The Colombians are fighters. Lifted by their loud supporters, they never give up. Carlos Sanchez was simply trying to protect the net. He might have reacted on pure instinct, but his red card was still a bone-headed move. That, combined with James’ absence, ruined Jose Pekerman’s concept. Now, we’re back to square one. A new day, a new game and a different adversary. Changes are to be expected. James Rodriguez should be back in the starting lineup. Juan Cuadrado, who was the victim of Sanchez’s red card, should also be there. Radamel Falcao was willing and determined, but you could see age is catching up with him. He’s simply not as fast as he used to be. Nevertheless, his spot in the starting eleven is not in danger. Juan Quintero was replaced by James and should be on the bench on Sunday, while Jose Izquierdo’s situation is blurry. I’d like to see how Luis Murriel acts in a role behind Falcao.
Prediction
Poland desperately needs Kamil Glik back. At this point, he’s questionable, but knowing his tough guy mentality, he might suit up. Pekerman would be smart to play with two attackers in this matchup in order to exploit the opposition’s weak spot. I just don’t think the Europeans have the midfield to help Lewandowski get into more scoring opportunities. It’ll defintely be a tight contest in which both teams will try to show that round one was a mistake, yet based on what I saw in those first two matches, I’d give the edge to Colombia. Poland 1-2 Colombia
Betting odds
Poland 3.50
Draw 3.50
Colombia 2.20