Poland's preparations for the European Championship hit a snag during their 2-1 win against Turkey on Monday. Both captain Robert Lewandowski and striker Karol Swiderski were injured; Swiderski left the pitch shortly after scoring the opener (assisted by Lewandowski), and the legendary Lewandowski was replaced in the 32nd minute. They now have until Sunday to recover before Poland kicks off their campaign against the Netherlands in Hamburg.
Poland captain Robert Lewandowski and striker Karol Swiderski were in doubt for the European Championship after being injured during a 2-1 warmup victory over Turkey on Monday. Lewandowski assisted Swiderski for the opening goal in the 12th minute. However, Swiderski came off the field shortly thereafter. Lewandowski, Poland’s all-time leading goal-scorer, played until the 32nd minute when he was injured and replaced. The two have till Sunday to recover before Poland begins its Euros campaign against the Netherlands in Hamburg.
Turkey fought back in the second half, creating several chances. While some attempts were blocked, Baris Alper Yilmaz managed to score a deflected goal that left goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny with no chance. Turkey nearly equalized when Kerem Akturkoglu hit the crossbar, but Poland sealed the game in the final minute with a stunning solo goal from Nicola Zalewski, marking his first for the national team. While Turkey moves on to play Georgia in Dortmund, Poland is grappling with concerns over their injured forwards. In contrast, the Netherlands are in peak form, coming off two consecutive 4-0 routs.
The Dutch side showed no mercy in Rotterdam, crushing Iceland 4-0 in a manner very similar to their previous victory over Canada. The goals came from Virgil van Dijk and Wout Weghorst, while Xavi Simons netted his first goal for the national team following a header from Denzel Dumfries. Nathan Ake also contributed with a header that assisted Van Dijk. Donyell Malen added another goal after a pass from Memphis Depay, though Depay's own attempt was later cancelled by VAR due to a handball.
VAR played a key role again by confirming a late goal for Weghorst. Elsewhere, the Czech Republic edged out North Macedonia 2-1 in Hradec Kralove, relying on two second-half penalties to win. After a dominant 7-1 win over Malta the previous Friday, the Czech coach rotated the squad heavily, making nine changes to test his primary lineup before their upcoming clash with Portugal in Leipzig.
The match remained goalless until the 60th minute, when Patrik Schick stepped up to score a penalty following a foul on Tomas Soucek. North Macedonia responded quickly, equalizing five minutes later when Isnik Alimi headed in a rebound off the post. The deadlock was finally broken in the closing minutes of stoppage time by Antonin Barak, who converted a penalty to secure the win. However, the team faced a blow when captain Michal Sadilek had to withdraw from the Euro 2024 squad after a cycling accident resulted in a leg injury.