Poland vs. Germany: Date, Time, Preview and More for Euro 2016 Qualifier
Poland will play host to Germany on Saturday in the latest leg of their bid to qualify for Euro 2016, a fixture that promises to pull apart two sides currently on level pegging.
Both teams won their first qualifiers and currently sit level on three points apiece, Poland top of the pile by virtue of goal difference, having thrashed pool minnows Gibraltar in their last outing.
Joachim Low's reigning World Cup champions face arguably the toughest test of their entire qualification campaign in Warsaw, as vital a fixture as they're likely to face in the build-up to the finals.
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Date: Saturday, Oct. 11
Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK, subscription required)
TV Info: Sky Sports 3 (UK)
Key Players To Watch
Poland: Robert Lewandowski
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski will have a form of homecoming on his plate this weekend when he comes face to face with a host of his squadmates from the Allianz Arena.
The former Borussia Dortmund star has been in typically prolific form since joining Pep Guardiola's cause over the summer and will have become even more familiar with the opposition he's set to face on Saturday.
The striker is eager to see his side take the fight to Germany, however, quoted by German newspaper Kicker (h/t ESPN's Stephan Uersfeld) saying: "It will not be an easy game, but we don't have to fear them. We can beat them, if we can trigger our full potential."
If Lewandowski's judgement is to be realised, his own performance will be of particular significance. He will need to capitalise on the few chances Poland are likely to create, while his hold-up play is important to alleviating pressure on the defence.
On his day, Lewandowski ranks among the best finishers in football. However, in the same fashion that he'll have a familiarity with his opponent, they're sure to be just as aware of his talents too.
Germany: Toni Kroos
Just seven games into his La Liga career for Real Madrid and already Toni Kroos is asserting the same pendulum-like presence that he once did at Bayern and continues to do for Germany.
This season, the midfielder has crafted 15 scoring chances—an average of more than two per game—and his 92 percent passing accuracy is the best of any regular first-team player, per Squawka.
Via the national team's official Twitter account, Kroos points out that Spanish presents something of a language barrier for him, but is an issue he won't have on Saturday, and Poland won't be underestimated by the playmaker:
Still just 24 years years old, Kroos already has an extremely important role to play in ensuring Germany of possession, even if Low does have a host of other figures able to step into his position.
However, none in the squad can do what Kroos does with the same proficiency, and with Mesut Ozil out injured for three months, per the Telegraph, Real's gem now has more of a burden on his shoulders to create opportunity.
