Poland v Russia Euro 2012 Preview & Tips

It’s Poland v Russia this June 12. The Poles look to bounce back at the expense of a Russian side looking to win two straight games. The game starts at 19:45 GMT.

Teams News

Poland

Poland spoiled their lead against Greece last time out. Two Wojciech Szczesny mistakes handed the Greeks a draw; the second one resulted in a red card that almost gave all three points to Fernando Santos’ troops. Szczesny will be missing the game against Russia as a result, a big blow to the Polish defense that was tidy and almost perfect against Greece.

Robert Lewandowski scored the first goal of Euro 2012. A Konstantinos Chalkias mistake allowed Lewandowski to nod in an early 17th minute goal. The best Pole on the pitch against Greece however was Jakub Blaszczykowski. “Kuba” provided the assist for Borussia Dortmund teammate Lewandowski, troubling the Greek left-side all night long.

Russia

Chances were abound and their frontline didn’t disappoint – Russia were too strong for Czech Republic and the resulting 4-1 win was a statement that spells dread to their upcoming opponents. Alan Dzagoev’s man-of-the-match performance helped him to a brace, with Arshavin providing two assists. Roman Pavlyuchenko joined the party with a goal and an assist while Roman Shirokov’s 24th minute goal killed the game for the Czechs.

Will all cylinders firing, Dick Advocaat will have a selection headache for the match against Poland. For now the Dutch manager will have to figure out if Pavlyuchenko deserves to start ahead of Alexander Kerzhakov. The latter hit the post against Poland but the former looks more lethal, playing only 19 minutes but getting an assist and a goal in the process. Truly an efficient performance for the Lokomotiv Moscow man.

Poland v Russia Betting Preview

You may call Poland lucky for not losing against Greece when the odds were against them. Against Russia, mere luck won’t get them through to a win so Polish fans who will be watching the game live better prepare for a long night. Russia will be fancying their chances against Poland especially with Szczesny out; a goalfest like the one against Czech Republic is at risk of happening at the expense of Poland.

Betting Tip

Verdict: Russia to win, 2-0.

Tip: Take Russia’s 2.30 to win, 10.00 to win with a 2-0 score-line. The game could tighten up defensively as Poland will look to save themselves from embarrassment. This means that the game could go under 2.5 goals – given that Russia play good defense too – at 1.61.

Robert Lewandowski is at 2.87 to score anytime but a better alternative lies in Alan Dzagoev’s 3.60 to score anytime. Pavlyuchenko is at 3.00 to score in this game while Andrey Arshavin – who is due a goal any game now – is at 4.00.

All odds are from Bet365.com (£200 FREE BET!).