Lewandowski vs. Gotze: Which Bayern Star Will Come out on Top in Euro Qualifier?

Germany visit Poland on Saturday in the second matchday of Euro 2016 qualifiers. The hosts lead Group D on goal difference, having hammered Gibraltar 7-0 in their opener. Germany are tied with Poland and Ireland on three points, but they are behind the Poles, having won their opener with Scotland by a narrow, 2-1 margin.

Saturday's match will see familiar opponents meet, with the two sides having met at the 2006 World Cup and at Euro 2008. Both of those competitive fixtures were won by Germany, but in friendlies in 2011 and May of this year, Poland held firm to claim draws.

Apart from the long history the national teams have, Poland vs. Germany will see familiar Bundesliga teammates and foes meet. Among the two squads, 20 players ply their trade at club level in Germany. And arguably the two most dangerous players among the Polish and German squads hail from the Bundesliga's most traditionally successful club, Bayern Munich. They are Poland captain Robert Lewandowski and 2014 World Cup final-winner Mario Gotze.

After showing impressive form in preseason, Lewandowski began the club season in poor form, scoring a modest two goals in his first 10 matches. Perhaps the pressure of playing in such a key position as center forward at such a huge, historic club got the better of him. Or perhaps he was not yet accustomed to Pep Guardiola's inconsistent tactics. In his last match before the international break, however, the 26-year-old exploded into form. He netted a brace against Hannover and was unlucky to be denied a hat-trick: For the first time in a Bayern shirt, he looked consistently dangerous, not just an intermittent threat.

Lewandowski leads Euro 2016 qualifying in goals scored, having found the net four times against Gibraltar and given an assist to boot. He'll captain his country in his hometown, Warsaw, and he will be desperate to get on the scoresheet and prove himself as a leader.

Their run-in with Germany will be the toughest task Poland will face in their qualifiers, but it will also be their biggest stage to show their quality. Lewandowski has in the past proven himself as a big-game player: He famously scored four goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, and in his last two seasons at BVB scored 16 and assisted six more in 22 appearances in Europe's most elite club football tournament. He will, without doubt, be the man with whom Joachim Low will most be concerned as he makes plans in his defense.

Opposite Lewandowski, Mario Gotze may be the most dangerous man for Germany at this point. The 22-year-old has featured regularly on the wing at Bayern this campaign but has been named as a forward in Low's squad and can expect to start ahead of Max Kruse, the only other striker selected.

Since the last international break, Gotze has more or less carried Bayern. He was rested against Hannover, but prior to that match he'd played a direct role in seven of the club's previous 10 goals in all competitions, scoring four and assisting three.

Gotze has always stepped up his game on the international stage, his winner against Argentina, of course, being the crowning achievement in his career and underlining his class and resolve. With Miroslav Klose having retired from international duty after the World Cup and Mario Gomez having been dropped, Gotze's performance in the coming months could solidify his role as Germany's main striker, or at least guarantee him a spot somewhere in attack, for years to come. For now, he'll look to take his chances against a tough Poland side.

Sharpness of star players can often decide games, and in the case of Saturday's match, both Poland and Germany can be confident in their center forwards. Bayern duo Lewandowski and Gotze will enter the match full of confidence and with huge motivation to prove themselves. Fans can expect a spirited match, with the form of one Bayern star or the other possibly making all the difference on the day.

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