Poland Faces Malta in Crucial World Cup Qualifying Match

Ta’ Qali, Malta (AP) — Poland aims for a crucial victory against Malta on Monday evening in their final Group G match of World Cup qualifying.

The match at the National Stadium comes as Poland seeks to solidify its playoff position after a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Friday. Currently sitting three points behind the Dutch, Poland must win to maintain their hopes of an automatic qualification.

Poland, managed by Jan Urban, is coming off a recent draw against the Netherlands, where Jakub Kaminski initially put them ahead. However, the Dutch equalized shortly after halftime, leaving Poland needing a win against Malta to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

Despite Poland’s position, Malta has already been eliminated from qualifying for the tournament. The Malta national team, led by Emilio De Leo, achieved a surprising 1-0 victory over Finland last week, marking their first win of the qualifying campaign.

This victory offered a momentary boost for Malta, who remain determined to avoid finishing in last place in their group. They currently sit two points above Lithuania, who they face in a must-win scenario later.

In terms of player availability, Poland will welcome back key players, Bartosz Slisz and Przemysław Wiśniewski, from suspension. They will also look to the experience of Robert Lewandowski to lead the attack, hoping to add to his impressive World Cup qualifying tally.

Malta, meanwhile, plans to rely on joint top-scorer Teddy Teuma and Irvin Cardona in the forward position. Teuma returned and could play a pivotal role in their attempt to secure a respectable finish in the group.

With their current form, Poland is favored to secure a win on Monday. However, Malta, with home advantage and a surprisingly resilient defense shown in recent matches, may look to pull off an upset.

The game kicks off at 8:45 PM BST and can be viewed live on various sports networks.