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More biting and aggressive, the Mexicans did not manage to overcome an often messy Polish team and had to settle for the point of the draw (0-0). The “White Eagles” have only very rarely managed to put their star scorer, Robert Lewandowski, in orbit, who missed a penalty in the second period. Author of 75 achievements with his selection, the FC Barcelona striker remains silent in the World Cup.
After Lionel Messi, another cador of world football appeared in the tournament: Robert Lewandowski, best Fifa player in 2020 and 2021, was to put the Polish selection on the right track, which has been running for three decades after qualifying in the round of 16. the World Cup, but it was Mexico who dominated the debates on Tuesday, November 22, without managing to concretize their domination.
If the match promised to be balanced on paper between two teams of the same level, the Mexicans quickly showed themselves to be the most enterprising. From the 4e minute, Lozano escapes the marking on the right side and delivers a very strong cross to the far post, which Chavez fails to take back.
The “Verde” controls the rhythm of the meeting while the Poles try to proceed against. But the two teams lack technical accuracy and the long balls which do not find takers multiply.
25e minute of play: new alert for the Polish goal. On a cross from Herrera, Vega tries a lobbed header in a complicated position but the ball goes just wide of the post. A minute later, Mexico came close to opening the scoring again but Szczesny, the Polish goalkeeper, came out well to hinder Gallardo from deep.
Lewandowski, cursed in the World Cup?
On the Polish side, the offensives are too messy to be able to worry the emblematic goalkeeper of the Mexican selection, Guillermo Ochoa, who is playing his fifth World Cup under the colors of the “Verde”. A regular at the World Cups, Mexico has always succeeded since 1978 in getting out of the group stage.
Well taken by the green hinge and forced to play most of the time with his back to goal, the evening promises to be complicated for Robert Lewandowski, who, as too often in selection, will have to fend for himself. 54e minute: after a ball lost by Alvarez, Lewandowski makes his power speak and collapses in the surface after a duel with Moreno. The penalty is awarded to Poland against the run of play.
We then say that nothing can prevent the FC Barcelona striker from scoring his first goal in the World Cup, he who remained silent during the last World Cup in Russia. Nothing, except Guillermo Ochoa. The former doorman of Ajaccio relaxes at full speed to take out a penalty yet well struck on the right side.
Galvanized by the magnificent stop of their captain and the support of their public who had come in large numbers to the international stadium of Khalifa, the Mexicans set out again to attack the Polish goal but lacked precision in the last gesture. The match was interrupted by numerous faults and the chances were rare, except for an attempt by Kaminski at the end of the race, easily captured by Ochoa.
The two teams leave with a goalless draw, the second of the day after Denmark-Tunisia in group D, that of the France team which enters the competition against Australia on Tuesday evening.
The World Cup in Qatar beyond football:
