Last time there was a 0:0

Without a win since 1994! ÖFB warned about group opponents

Can Austria secure their first win against Poland at the EURO in 30 years?

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

After the play-off in the qualifiers for the European Football Championship in Germany, Austria's last opponent has been decided. On June 21, the Austrian team will face Poland on the second match day in Berlin.

The team led by star striker Robert Lewandowski beat Wales on penalties after a bumpy qualifying phase. However, the Poles have a positive record against Austria, with five wins and only three defeats in ten matches.

The ÖFB team's last win against Poland came in 1994 with a 4-3 victory in a test match; since then, they have lost three and drawn two of their five matches, one of which was at the 2008 European Championship on home soil. This was also the Poles' first appearance at the European Championship, and they have taken part in every final round since then. Three times they finished in the preliminary round, in 2016 they reached the quarter-finals. Austria and Poland last drew 0-0 in Warsaw in September 2019.

In recent years, the Polish team has experienced relegation. After reaching an all-time high of fifth place in the FIFA world rankings in August 2017, they are now in 30th place. While they still reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, they only finished third in qualifying for the European Championship after defeats to Moldova, Albania and the Czech Republic.

Goal drought for Lewandowski
The team has been coached by Michal Probierz since September. He took over from Fernando Santos, the Portuguese 2016 European champion coach who became Poland's team manager after the 2022 World Cup and failed to impress. Probierz, who is largely unknown outside the country's borders, is unbeaten with the Polish team so far, with four wins and two draws in six games.

Lewandowski has rarely been allowed to celebrate in national dress recently.

(Bild: AFP)

Captain and record player Robert Lewandowski (35) has not shone with goals. Since his brace against the Faroe Islands on September 7, the 82-time goalscorer has not scored in seven games for the national team, although he has scored 13 times in the Spanish league this season. The best-known names in the selection alongside Lewandowski are Juventus goalie Wojciech Szczesny (33), Napoli strategist Piotr Zielinski (29) and Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior (24).