After completing one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history, Saudi Arabia will look to make it two wins in Group C as they face Poland on Saturday.
Poland were held to a 0-0 draw by Mexico in their opening Group C fixture at the World Cup. It was a generally forgettable encounter with Robert Lewandowski missing the best chance of the game from the penalty spot.
The Poles have failed to make it beyond the group stage in their last three World Cup appearances and will be keen to set things right in Qatar. Manager Cheslaw Michniewicz will be keen to focus on the positives from the opening fixture.
Poland will still be relying on Lewandowski to provide the spark in attack, although the veteran striker is still seeking a first ever World Cup goal. He remains his country’s all time leading scorer and has the quality to capitalise on Saudi Arabia’s high line.
Saudi Arabia were responsible for one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history as they claimed a 2-1 victory over two-time champions Argentina in their opening fixture. Having given away an early penalty, they rallied back after the break with Saleh Al Shehri and Salem Al Dawsari getting the goals.
Manager Herve Renard got his tactics spot on as Saudi Arabia were ruthless in attack while also demonstrating a ruggedness at the back to keep out Argentina’s front line. However, they rode their luck a few times as the Argentine’s had three goals ruled out for offside while goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais was also called upon several times.
While Saudi Arabia have reason to celebrate a victory over a World Cup powerhouse, there are still a few elements that may be worrying. Their highline saw the Argentines constantly get in behind and one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and they could be punished by Poland.
How the bookies view it
Poland have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 4/5 by William Hill to claim the win. A victory for Saudi Arabia is valued at 4/1 by Unibet while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 by BetVictor.
Head to head
The only previous meeting between Poland and Saudi Arabia was a friendly back in 2006 which the Poles won 2-1.
Players to watch
Although Robert Lewandowski is still seeking his first goal at the World Cup, he remains the biggest attacking threat for Poland. The striker will be keen to make up for his penalty miss against Mexico and is priced at 6/5 by bet365 to find the net on Saturday.
Salem Al Dawsari was a constant threat for Saudi Arabia throughout the opening fixture and capped off a fine performance by netting the winner. The attacker could be backed to get on the score sheet once again at 5/1 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Saudi Arabia showed a fearlessness going forward against Argentina and with Poland also boasting some attacking quality, both teams could be backed to score at evens with William Hill. The Saudis saw over 2.5 goals in the opening fixture and a repeat is priced at 23/20 with Unibet, who are also offering 3/1 for over 3.5 goals.
Both teams often take a while to find their rhythm, which means the second half could be tipped to produce the most goals at 6/5 with Paddy Power.
This World Cup match between Poland and Saudi Arabia will be played on Nov 26, 2022 and kick off at 13:00. Check below for our tipsters best Poland vs Saudi Arabia prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
