When you’re not one of the biggest footballing nations, the elite talent at your disposal is limited to a handful of player at most. So, when you arrive at a major tournament and your star man and all-time record goal scorer, 35-year-old Lewandowski, is nursing a thigh injury, the outlook can look bleak.
Poland therefore needed others to step up to provide the cutting edge in attack that Lewandwoski has given them over so many years.
The hope was that the Barcelona forward would only miss Poland’s opening game of Euro 2024 (against Netherlands on June 16), but he was still not fit to start this clash against Austria.
In the first game, Adam Buksa led the line and scored to give Poland the lead. It wasn’t enough (Netherlands won 2-1), but they did look good for a point until Wout Weghorst’s late goal.
Against Austria, with Buksa less influential, it was the turn of Krzysztof Piatek to score, with the 28-year-old converting the equaliser from close range after the ball fell invitingly to him in the box.
Lewandowski could only watch on from the bench in the first half, offering his thoughts to the coaching staff to try and influence proceedings, until his introduction on 60 minutes. The game was in the balance but he was unable to provide the extra spark required as Poland fell to a second straight 2-1 defeat that leaves them on the brink of elimination.
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