Mexico and Poland make up the quartet in Group C and square up against each other in a knockout fixture. Both teams have divided opinions of bookmakers concerning who finishes 2nd behind Argentina and this game is the key battle for Gerardo Daniel Martino and Czeslaw Michniewicz to invest all energy.
The Mexicans have an ageing squad with the likes of Guillermo Ochoa, Hector Moreno, skipper Andres Guardado all in their mid-30s, it’s not a fantastic crop of players in terms of quality but there is a wealth of experience in there. The North Americans hold a record for being the only team alongside Brazil to have never exited the competition in the first round, a record which has often been under threat and will be yet again as the face Robert Lewandowski’s Poland.
Argentine maestro Tata Martino is a highly disciplined manager; we saw a lot of him when he managed Barcelona and how he tried to get the team to play by his philosophy. Do not expect the Mexicans to entertain you with exciting football, they’d be crafty and play more not to lose than to win. On the other hand, Poland will attack and for sure when you have the likes of Krzysztof Piątek and Napoli starlet PiotrZielinski, attacking against an old defensive set up that Mexico presents is the best thing to do. However, expect both teams to go at each other, I see goals in this one and I see a lot of talking points at the end, note that on head to head records, the Polish have never beaten Mexico in three attempts which consist of (2D, 1L) two draws and a 1-0 defeat in 2017.
I feel both teams are somehow evenly matched, there’s Lewandowski for Poland like Raul Jimenez for Mexico, there are experienced goal keepers for both teams in Ochoa and former Arsenal goalie WojciechSzczesny, and the Europeans don’t have a fantastic defense as well with out of form Kamil Glik and Jan Bednarek likely to start as center half partners. Tight game to call, won’t be wise to bet on either team to be honest, looks like there’s enough firepower to make it an explosive fixture but then both managers make choose to be cautious and give us a boring game to watch, with Mexico’s experience and Poland’s consistent disappointing performances on the world stage, the pendulum is swinging in the direction of the Mexicans to be honest.
In 2018, Poland lost their first game 2-1 to Senegal while Mexico hit it big as they beat defending Champions Germany in that 1-0 encounter; my heart says the Mexicans won’t lose this game.
PREDICTION:
MEXICO 1-1 POLAND
(6pm Nigerian Time)
