Poland comeback to beat much-changed Wales

Wales will have to pick themselves up for Sunday’s crucial World Cup play-off final after kicking off their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 defeat in Poland.

Jonny Williams’ stunning second-half strike gave Wales hope of claiming a first victory over Poland in 49 years but Thomas Kaminski’s equaliser and Karol Swiderski’s winner turned the game around in the final 18 minutes.

With a career-defining showdown against Scotland or Ukraine looming, Rob Page omitted Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, and Ben Davies from the matchday squad in Wroclaw and the trio watched on as a much-changed Wales produced a rousing display which just fell short.

But there were positives in defeat for Wales – namely keeping Poland dangerman Robert Lewandowski quiet for the duration – and these will have to be drawn on ahead of their return to Cardiff, where they look to secure a place at Qatar 2022, and their first World Cup finals since 1958.

Wales denied rare Poland win late on

Poland should have taken a fourth-minute lead when Mateusz Klich’s cross found Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski unmarked in the Wales area, but he inexcusably sent a gilt-edged headed chance wide of the target.

Wales took full advantage of their reprieve in an open and entertaining first period, with Dylan Levitt’s rasping drive forcing a first save from Polish goalkeeper Kamil Grabara and the lively Wes Burns’ sending a deflected volley wide, either side of Robert Lewandowski forcing a save from the legs of Welsh stopper Danny Ward.

Both sides squandered chances to take the lead before the interval, with Daniel James dragging wide having done all the hard work to burst in the Poland area, before Adam Buksa came within inches of turning Tymoteusz Puchacz’s cross home on the stretch.

With an eye on Sunday, Page withdrew James and Kieffer Moore at the interval for Mark Harris and Rabbi Motondo, who nearly grabbed his first international goal within four minutes of being on the field only to see his low drive cannon off the legs of Grabara.

Wales made the breakthrough on 52 minutes when Williams’ stunning effort from the edge of the box dipped into the far corner and left goalkeeper Grabara and the Wroclaw crowd stunned, but holding onto their advantage proved too big a task for the visitors.

After Lewandowski dragged a rare shot wide, Kaminski showed his illustrious team-mate how to finish, capitalising on hesitant Welsh defending to lash a crisp low drive into the far corner.

There was only one winner from that point as the Polish crowd roared their side to a thrilling late finale, which came when Swiderski bundled the ball towards the Welsh goal and, despite the best efforts of Chris Mepham on the goal line, found the late winner.

Matt Smith volleyed a presentable effort over in stoppage-time as Wales missed the chance to snatch a late point, but there was little time to dwell on it with Sunday’s epic play-off now firmly in focus.

Wales unable to crack Poland code – Opta stats

Poland have won their last five matches against Wales in all competitions, with Wales losing five or more in a row against single opponent for the first time since doing so against England between October 2004 and October 2020 (6).Wales scored for the first time in an away game against Poland, although they remain winless in all five such encounters on Polish soil (D2 L3).Poland won just their third game in the UEFA Nations League (D3 L5), with Wales just the second side they’ve beaten in the competition, after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina home and away in 2020.Wales have lost a match in which they opened the scoring for the first time since March 2021 against Belgium (1-3).

What’s next?

Wales host Scotland or Ukraine in their World Cup Qualifying play-off final on Sunday at 5pm – live on Sky Sports.

The resumption of the Nations League sees Wales host the Netherlands and Poland travel to Belgium on Wednesday at 7.45pm.