UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stage
16 June, 2024 - Indian Date
Volksparkstadion
MATCH TIMES
India
06:30 PM
UAE
05:00 PM
Saudi Arabia
04:00 PM
MATCH LIVE INFO
Netherlands possible starting lineup: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Dijk, Ake, Van de Ven; Schouten, Veerman; Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo; Depay
Poland possible starting lineup: Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Slisz; Frankowski, Zielinski, Piotrowski, Szymanski, Zalewski; Swiderski
Match Preview
Poland and the Netherlands will kick off Group D at Euro 2024 with a match at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on Sunday. Poland, who reached the finals via a playoff, will face a formidable opponent in the Netherlands, who qualified comfortably and are eyeing their second European title. Poland enters the tournament on a five-match winning streak, hoping to advance to the knockout stages despite being placed in a challenging group. However, they face a significant setback with the absence of their star player, Robert Lewandowski, due to injury.
Poland's journey to the finals has been tumultuous. After the unsuccessful stint of Euro 2016 winner Fernando Santos as head coach, Michal Probierz took over and guided the team to victory against Estonia and Wales in the playoffs. In their recent warm-up matches, Poland defeated Ukraine 3-1 and Turkey 2-1, showing promising signs with goals from five different players, which may help compensate for Lewandowski's absence. Historically, Poland has struggled at the Euros, winning only two out of 14 matches and remaining winless against the Netherlands in their last 12 encounters since 1979.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, have a rich history in the European Championship, famously winning the tournament in 1988 when it was last held in Germany. Ronald Koeman's current squad is determined to end their 20-year absence from the semi-finals. Alongside France and Austria in Group D, the Netherlands aim to advance to the knockout rounds, supported by strong recent performances. They come into the tournament with confidence, having won convincingly against Canada and Iceland in their warm-up matches.
Despite lacking a Lewandowski-like striker, the Dutch team has managed well, with captain Virgil van Dijk scoring in both recent warm-up games. Their defense is robust, and although Frenkie de Jong's absence in midfield is a blow, the team remains a strong contender. Sunday's match in Hamburg promises to be a crucial test for both sides as they seek to start their Euro 2024 campaigns on a high note.