Coming into this match both Poland and Senegal wanted to prove they are not just one man teams. While Poland were slight favourites to take the three points, it was Senegal who successfully showed they had depth beyond Sadio Mane.

Senegal secured the win by stifling Poland’s movement through the centre of the field and cutting off the supply to Robert Lewandowski. This disrupted Poland’s play and they struggled to create any real chances.

A late goal from Grzegorz Krychowiak made for a frantic finish but Senegal held on to join Japan as unexpected Group H leaders.    

Poland

Wojciech Szczesny- 6.5

Was quick off his line which proved to be an asset in the first half but helped contribute to Senegal’s second goal later in the game.

Lukasz Piszczek- 6

Tucked in and slid across the field well to provide a constant pass back option.

Michal Pazdan- 6

Used his speed to minimise the impact of Senegal’s quick transitions by not allowing the forwards to completely break away into space.  

Thiago Cionek- 5

Was credited with an own goal after an unlucky deflection but recovered to defend strongly in one on one situations.

Maciej Rybus- 6.5

Pushed well forward and by the end of the game he was occupying more of an attacking midfield role to try and create chances for Poland.

Grzegorz Krychowiak- 6

Remained collected when providing cover in defence, preferring to use short passes to work the ball out of the area. However, a wayward pass played a role in Senegal’s second goal. Lucky for Krychowiak he redeemed himself with a goal at the other end.

Piotr Zielinski- 5

Had trouble getting involved in the game as Senegal didn't allow him space to work the ball around the box.

 

 

 

Jakub Blaszczykowski- 5

Was kept quiet for much of the first half and struggled after an early knock. He was replaced in the second half.

Arkadiusz Milik – 6

Worked hard in midfield and gave Poland their best chance of the second half with a flick that just went wide before being replaced.

Kamil Grosicki- 7

Looked dangerous with the ball cutting it back crisply in the first half but was considerably quieter in the second. He did salvage his performance with a long range free kick, setting up Krychowiak’s goal.

Robert Lewandowski- 4.5

His impact was restricted to a few good touches of the ball. He failed to deliver his best and provide the spark that Poland desperately needed.

Subs

Jan Bednarek- 5

Despite recieving a knock to the head minutes after coming on he remained strong in the air but was caught out of position for Senegal’s second goal.  

Dawid Kownacki- 5

Brought on to provide another attacking option but just couldn’t deliver.  

Bartosz Bereszynski- 5

With a little over five minutes of game time Bereszynski will be hoping to prove himself in the next matches.

Senegal

Khadim N’Diaye- 7

Looked nervous, often sending back passes up field first time instead of taking time to control them. Pulled off a good save against a Lewandowski free kick and his confidence grew from there.

Youssouf Sabaly- 7.5

Wasn’t afraid to venture well out of the back line. His well-weighted passing was key to Senegal’s quick transitions.

Kalidou Koulibaly- 6

Koulibaly was another player who seemed a bit nervous and unable to settle on the ball.  

Salif Sane- 8

Did well to constantly pressure Lewandowski and restrict his impact on the game, even if it meant picking up a yellow card for his work.

Moussa Wague- 7

Didn’t have any stand out moments but worked well with his fellow defenders to limit Poland’s chances up front.

Ismaila Sarr- 7.5

Showcased his incredible speed but was often pushed out wide and struggled to get crosses into the box.  

Alfred N’Diaye -8

Managed to get in the way at crucial moments, sending the ball out of play to relieve pressure and give Senegal time to get back and defend.   

Idrissa Gana Gueye- 7

Worked well in the midfield to stifle Poland’s attempts to progress through the centre of the park.

Mbaye Niang -9

Constantly went looking for the ball and managed to win it time and time again. Set up Senegal’s first goal and scored their second.  

Sadio Mane- 8

First proper touch of the ball saw him weave in between two Polish players and he seemingly brought confidence to the midfield, taking decisive touches and driving forward.

Mame Biram Diouf- 7

Pestered and pressured the defence, pulling them wide to create space in the middle.  

Subs

Cheikh Ndoye- 6

Worked back to help the defence at crucial moments.

Moussa Konate- 6

Fresh legs made sure the Polish defence was under constant pressure.

Cheikhou Kouyate- 5

Another late substitution who will be hoping for more game time in the next round of the group stages.