Poland take on France in season-end friendly
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
09.06.2011 11:20
Following a 2-1 win over Argentina on Sunday, the Polish national team is to play France in Warsaw tonight, the side’s last match until a friendly against Georgia in August.
Will trainer Franciszek Smuda get the victory he wants? Photo: PAP/Bartlomiej Zborowski
France come off the cuff of a 4-1 pummelling of Ukraine at the Donbas Arena on Monday, although drew with Belarus 1-1 last week in the group stage qualifiers for Euro 2012.
The French national side also has the upper hand in the current FIFA world rankings, coming in at 19th, while Poland are 71st.
French-born Ludovic Obraniak is expected to play in the Polish line up on Thursday, with Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny hoping to keep a clean sheet against the Tricolores.
Ahead of today’s match French trainer Laurent Blanc announced some changes to his team’s line-up, adding at a press conference on Wednesday that “the players were disappointed in giving a 1-1 draw to Belarus.”
This will be the sixteenth time Poland and France have played each other, although the White-and-Reds haven’t won in almost 29 years. Poland has won three matches, drawn five and lost seven, with a goal difference of 16:26.
The last time Poland won against France was in 1982 during the FIFA World Cup in Spain, beating them 3-2 to get come third overall in the tournament.
Thursday’s kick-off is at 21.00 CET at the Legia Stadium in Warsaw. (jb)