Poland vs Netherlands live updates (2024)

If you are a country’s leading appearance holder and record goalscorer, it’s hard for you not to be their key player.

Lewandowski has scored for Poland in the World Cup, the European Championship, in qualifying for both, and in the Nations League. He is also able to score every type of goal: left foot, right foot, header.

Poland’s crossing-based playing style complements Lewandowski’s penalty-box presence and aerial finishing.

Also, playing two strikers up front lessens the load on Lewandowski, who turns 36 in August, and allows him to drop deeper to link the attack or roam to the channel, while the other centre-forward provides a central threat.

Making plenty of the chances for Lewandowski is Zalewski, on the left wing. Since a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in November, Zalewski has solidified his status as this team’s main creator.

This is the most geographically perfect fixture of the group stage. Hamburg is about 200km from the Dutch border and about 300km from the Polish border.

Accordingly, there are huge numbers of fans here - I bumped into the usual Oranje march through the city centre on my way to the stadium.

Only once have Poland made it past the group stage at a European Championship — here is their all-time record at the tournament.

• 2020 (Various): Group stage
• 2016 (France): Quarter-finals
• 2012 (Poland/Ukraine): Group stage
• 2008 (Austria/Switzerlandd): Group stage

1960-2004: Did not qualify

There are currently no continental major tournaments at international level that are made up of more than 24 teams. Copa America has just 16 while the European Championship and the Africa Cup of Nations both have 24.

But there is an argument that the Euros is ready to expand to bring it in line with the World Cup by also being a 32-team tournament.

This year, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard will miss out as Norway failed to qualify, similarly Alexander Isak with Sweden. There is no place for 2016 semi-finalists Wales or 2004 winners Greece.

While they would probably not be contending for the trophy, none of those four teams would look out of place at this year’s tournament and the same can be said for several other European nations. So, maybe it is time for another expansion and one that would simplify qualification to the knockout stage as, like at the World Cup, the top two teams from every group progress while the bottom two are eliminated.

European football certainly has the breadth of quality to justify it and despite UEFA’s claims, it does feel only a matter of time before that decision is made.

The European Championship has been played every four years since 1960, but the tournament looks much different now to how it did 64 years ago.

In 1960, 17 teams entered the competition but the finals were whittled down to just four teams: France, Yugoslavia, Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.

And for 20 years, that is how it stayed until a decision was made to double the amount of competing teams to eight.

Following triumphs for West Germany (1980), France (1984), Netherlands (1988) and Denmark (1992), the field doubled again to 16.

And with the quality of European football continuing to improve at an exponential rate, the demand for a 24-team tournament grew and was finally passed a few months after the 2008 Championship.

This will be the fourth Euros played with 24 teams and, despite calls to increase to 32 teams, that is how it will stay for the foreseeable future after UEFA confirmed last year that ‘no change has been proposed for the UEFA EURO final tournament”.

We have already had plenty of goals at Euro 2024 but no one has managed more than one yet.

If nothing else, it means we are nicely poised for a Golden Boot race. Well, until Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe or Romelu Lukaku (or anyone else) get out there.

One goal – Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Haverz, Niclas Fullkrug, Emre Can, Kwadwo Duah, Michel Aebischer, Barnabas Varga, Breel Embolo, Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Carvajal, Nedim Bajrami, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella

As we've had four games so far, we're a third of the way through the action in Group A and B.

Here is how they're looking:

Group A

1. Germany – PTS: 3, GD: 4
2. Switzerland – PTS: 3, GD: 2
3. Hungary – PTS: 0, GD: -2
4. Scotland – PTS: 0, GD: -4

Group B

1. Spain – PTS: 3, GD: 3
2. Italy – PTS: 3, GD: 1
3. Albania – PTS: 0, GD: -1
4. Croatia – PTS: 0, GD: -3

Germany got the party started on Friday in emphatic fashion, thrashing an awful Scotland team in Munich.

Then Switzerland had to battle against Hungary before Breel Embolo's stoppage-time goal in yesterday's first game before Spain cruised past Croatia.

In the last game of the day, Italy survived an early scare to see off Albania in Group B.

Friday

• Germany 5-1 Scotland (Wirtz, Musiala, Havertz, Fullkrug, Can; Rudiger OG)

Saturday

• Hungary 1-3 Switzerland (Varga; Duah, Aebischer, Embolo)
• Spain 3-0 Croatia (Morata, Fabian, Carvajal)
• Italy 2-1 Albania (Bastoni, Barella; Bajrami)

The 36 group-stage matches will take place across just under two weeks.

There are 12 days between Germany’s curtain raiser against Scotland on Friday, June 14 and the final round of group-stage fixtures on Wednesday, June 26.

So get ready for a lot of football!

The 24 teams have been split into six four-team groups and it is hard to argue against Group B looking like the toughest while Germany, England and Belgium have been handed seemingly favourable draws.

• Group A: Germany, Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland
• Group B: Spain, Albania, Croatia, Italy
• Group C: England, Denmark, Slovenia, Serbia
• Group D: France, Austria, Netherlands, Poland
• Group E: Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine
• Group F: Portugal, Turkey, Czech Republic, Georgia

Alternating between a back three and four, Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands continuously change their shape from game to game or within the same match.

Despite that, the differences between the 3-2-4-1 and 4-2-3-1 on the ball are minimal. The Dutch still look to find their No 10s between the lines and combine to create an advantage for their widest players — whether these are wing-backs, a wide forward or an overlapping full-back.

On the other hand, the 4-2-3-1 provides a different profile in the front line; rather than having two wing-backs, it’s an overlapping full-back and a winger. Often, one of the wingers would roam inside the pitch to create space for the advancing full-back.

Out of possession is where the difference between their shapes is most stark, with an additional centre-back making it a back five instead of a back four.

In addition, the Netherlands are able to press higher up the pitch if needed, with their centre-backs accustomed to aggressively marking opponents in advanced positions.

After sacking Fernando Santos, Portugal’s Euro 2016-winning coach, last September following three defeats in six matches during eight months in charge, Poland decided to promote their under-21s coach, Michal Probierz, to the top job.

Under Probierz, the senior side have maintained a back-three shape which moves to a 5-3-2 when they are defending in the middle third or deeper. Aerially, it’s hard to get the better of towering centre-backs, Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior, who have featured regularly alongside a third defender in the heart of the defence.

Crosses from wing-backs Zalewski and Frankowski are Poland’s main threat in the final third, with the left-sided Zalewski able to cross with both feet. This ambidexterity is a useful tool, because he can dribble with his right foot and cross with the left before the opposing defender reacts.

The action got underway in Munich on Friday evening, but yesterday was the first of several three-match days.

Poland vs Netherlands is the first today before two others — here is the line up:

• Poland vs Netherlands – 3pm local time, 2pm BST, 9am ET and 6am PT
• Slovenia vs Denmark – 6pm local time, 5pm BST, 12pm ET, 9am PT
• England vs Serbia – 9pm local time, 8pm BST, 3pm ET, 12pm PT

All three of these matches have their own dedicated live blog right here on The Athletic, so you don't need to go anywhere else for your footy fix.

Manager: Ronald Koeman

Captain: Virgil van Dijk

Qualifying record: P8, W6, D0, L2, GF17, GA7

Euro 2020: Round of 16

Most caps in squad: Daley Blind – 107

Top scorer in squad: Memphis Depay – 45

Manager: Michal Probierz

Captain: Robert Lewandowski

Qualifying record: P10, W4, D3, L3, GF15, GA11 (qualified through play-offs)

Euro 2020: Group stage

Most caps in squad: Robert Lewandowski – 150

Top goalscorer in squad: Robert Lewandowski – 82

Welcome to The Radar — the Euro 2024 edition. Each major tournament, we build a scouting guide highlighting the players to watch.

Below, there are 50 players, with at least one representative from each of the 24 nations competing in Germany. We’ve profiled established stars and rising talents, with a bespoke data visualisation for every player, with all our data correct as of Sunday, June 9.

Just click to expand and collapse each card, and you can use the filters to sort players by nation, club or position. They are handily arranged in group order to make it easier for you to get the lowdown on the players who pose an immediate threat to the nation you are supporting this summer.

Click here to follow Euro 2024 on The Athletic and get relevant stories in your personalised feed.

Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton), Mark Flekken (Brentford), Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord).

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Stefan de Vrij (Inter), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur), Daley Blind (Girona), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Denzel Dumfries (Inter), Lutsharel Geertruida (Feyenoord), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Ian Maatsen (Borussia Dortmund, on loan from Chelsea).

Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig), Joey Veerman (PSV), Jerdy Schouten (PSV), Gini Wijnaldum (Al Ettifaq), Tijjani Reijnders ( AC Milan).

Forwards: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Memphis Depay (Atletico Madrid), Brian Brobbey (Ajax), Wout Weghorst (Hoffenheim), Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna).

Frenkie De Jong withdrew on June 10, Teun Koopmeiners withdrew on June 11, Ian Maatsen added on June 11, Joshua Zirkzee added on June 12.

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus), Marcin Bulka (Nice), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna).

Defenders: Jan Bednarek (Southampton), Bartosz Bereszynski (Empoli), Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal), Bartosz Salamon (Lech Poznan), Tymoteusz Puchacz (Kaiserslautern), Pawel Dawidowicz (Verona), Sebastian Walukiewicz (Empoli).

Midfielders: Przemyslaw Frankowski (Lens), Kamil Grosicki (Pogon Szczecin), Jakub Moder (Brighton), Taras Romanczuk (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Damian Szymanski (AEK Athens), Michal Skoras (Club Brugge), Nikola Zalewski (Roma), Jakub Piotrowski (Ludogorets), Bartosz Slisz (Atlanta), Sebastian Szymanski (Fenerbahce), Kacper Urbanski (Bologna), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli).

Forwards: Adam Buksa (Antalyaspor), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Krzysztof Piatek (Basaksehir), Karol Swiderski (Verona).

• Start time: 2pm BST, 9am ET.
• TV info: BBC (UK), FS1 (US), TVP (Poland), NOS (Netherlands).
• Team news: Expected around an hour before kick-off.
• Get in contact using our email: livebloguk@theathletic.com.

Subscribe to The Athletic using our discount code for the tournament here.

Volksparkstadion, Hamburg

Capacity: 51,500 for international matches.

Opened: 1953.

The home of Hamburger SV since then, and the temporary home of Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk since 2023, too.

Tina Turner, Snoop Dogg and Eminem are among the musical artists to play the arena.