We have to play wisely against Romania: Poland captain
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
06.06.2017 16:27
Poland captain Robert Lewandowski has said a win against Romania in Warsaw on Saturday will massively boost his team's chances of advancing to the 2018 football World Cup in Russia.
Poland's Robert Lewandowski (left). Photo: PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski
"But we have to play wisely," star striker Lewandowski said, adding: “This is a hugely important match for us. We can leap ahead” in terms of advancing.
“Winning points at home is very important in the qualifiers. But we expect a different game from the Romanians than in Bucharest,” said Lewandowski.
Poland beat Romania 3:0 in a World Cup qualifying match in Bucharest in November.
During the game, Romania fans threw flares and firecrackers onto the pitch. One landed next to the Polish captain, temporarily deafening him.
Lewandowski came back from the incident to seal a win for Poland with goals in the 82nd and 90th minutes.
Lewandowski, who plays for the German league’s top club, Bayern Munich, said: “There was a lot going on in that match both on and off the pitch. There’s not going to be a repeat now because we’re playing at home.
“But we have to play wisely because the Romanians have nothing to lose.”
Poland, with 13 points, are well ahead in Group E in the World Cup qualifying round. Montenegro and Denmark have seven points each, while Romania are in fourth place with six points.
"If we win, we'll be in a very good position,” Lewandowski said. “We'll be out on the motorway, where we’ll be able to pick up speed and no one will be able to stop us.
“But we haven’t won yet... We have to focus on this match, and not on the situation in the table after the match with Romania.”
The Poland-Romania game kicks off in Warsaw at 8:45pm on Saturday.
(pk)
Source: PAP