Poland look to have a bright start in World Cup Qualifying as they travel to Hungary

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Poland look to get off to a winning start in their hunt for a place in the 2022 World Cup as they face Hungary at the Puskas Arena.

It will be Paulo Sousa’s first game in charge of the Polish national team and he will look to impress by getting a winning start in the qualifiers for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

Poland ended 2020 with two consecutive losses in the UEFA Nations League, they were defeated firstly by Italy and then the Netherlands piled on the misery.

The White and Reds got off to a flier with Kamil Jozwiak’s goal in the fifth minute giving them the lead. But Memphis Depay would score for the visitors in the 77th minute with Georginio Wijnaldum compling the comeback for Frank de Boer’s side. It saw Poland finished in third place in the group with Italy making the finals of the Nations League.

Whereas for Hungary, they had a fantastic end to 2020 as they made it through to the Euro 2021 beating Iceland in the final round of qualification.

Gylfi Sigurðsson had put Iceland one foot away from the Euros, but in the dying embers of the encounter, Loic Nego and Dominic Szoboszlai had other ideas and put Marco Rossi’s men into the competition, just the second time they have qualified for the competition in the last 45 years.

With this fixture being the sides’ first match on the road to Qatar, both will want to get off to a good start especially Hungary as they have failed to qualify for the World Cup in their last eight attempts.

Poland will look to make it to their four consecutive major competition after their 2016 European Championship success and their awful 2018 World Cup campaign. It is yet to be known how the White and Reds do at this year’s Euros, but the most important part is that they qualified with ease and will look to go far in the tournament.

The two sides last met in November 2011 at the Slaski Stadium. The White and Reds took the lead in the 37th minute through Pawel Brozek.

Poland’s number 23 was on hand in the box as Adam Bogdan pushed the ball into his path and he had the simple task of tapping the ball into the back of the net.

Hungary levelled the game in the 78th minute through Tamas Priskin. Akos Elek crossed the ball into the forward as he equalised the game with everything to play for with 10 minutes to go.

Vilmos Vanczak settled the game in Poland’s favour as the Hungarian defender passed the ball past Bogdan after a Jakub Blaszczykowski cross into the box which searched for a white and red shirt, but instead found Vanczak as he cost his side and gave Franciszek Smuda’s men the victory.

In the last 10 meetings between them, Poland have only lost twice, getting five victories and drawing a further three times with Hungary.

A lot to play for in this one with it being a Qualifying opener and both sides will be wanting to get the victory to start their retrospective campaigns in the right way.

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