Poland v Portugal background
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
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Poland have reached their maiden EURO quarter-final and are now intent on gracing a major tournament semi-final for the first time since 1982 – a goal that Portugal hope to deny them.
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Through to their first EURO quarter-final, Poland are targeting a first semi-final at a major tournament since 1982, but have their work cut out against Fernando Santos's resilient Portugal side.
Previous meetings
• Portugal have had marginally the better of the teams' ten previous meetings: W4 D3 L3. The two most recent ended in draws: a 2-2 in Lisbon in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying and a 0-0 in Warsaw in February 2012 – the first game, a friendly, at Warsaw's new National Stadium.
• The nations' clubs have faced off 22 times in UEFA competitions, with the Portuguese teams recording 11 wins to the Polish sides' three.
EURO facts: Poland
• Poland are appearing at their third straight EURO final tournament; prior to UEFA EURO 2016 they had never won a finals match (D3 L3), but here they have advanced to the last eight for the first time with a record of W2 D2, conceding just once in the process.
• Poland have won both of their games in Marseille without conceding, a 1-0 victory against Ukraine at these finals preceded by a 4-0 friendly success against the United Arab Emirates at the Stade Vélodrome in a 1990 friendly.
• Poland's greatest moment on the international stage was taking bronze at the 1974 and 1982 FIFA World Cups.
• Robert Lewandowski was the top Polish scorer in qualifying with 13 goals, equalling the competition record set by Northern Ireland's David Healy in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying; he has yet to score at these finals.
• Poland netted 33 goals during qualification – two more than the next most prolific country, England.
EURO facts: Portugal
• Portugal's last five EURO finals fixtures have ended in draws after 90 minutes; four at this competition, plus a 0-0 draw with Spain – preceding a shoot-out defeat – in the UEFA EURO 2012 semi-finals.
• Portugal have yet to win in Marseille; at EURO '84 – Portugal's first – they drew 1-1 with Spain at the Stade Vélodrome then lost 3-2 to France after extra time in the semis.
• Portugal are competing at their sixth consecutive EURO and their seventh in total. They have never failed to make it through the group stage.
• Portugal's greatest feat is getting to the final of UEFA EURO 2004 on home soil, where they unexpectedly lost 1-0 to Greece.
Coach and player links
• Portugal's Raphaël Guerreiro and Poland's Kamil Grosicki scored for their respective teams when Lorient drew 1-1 with Rennes in Ligue 1 in 2015/16.
• Former team-mates:
Éder and Łukasz Fabiański (Swansea City AFC, 2015)
• Renato Sanches and Robert Lewandowski will be team-mates next season at FC Bayern München, following the Portuguese youngster's move from SL Benfica.
• Portugal boss Santos posted two draws against Poland during his time as Greece coach; 0-0 in a March 2011 friendly and 1-1 at UEFA EURO 2012, Lewandowski scoring for the tournament co-hosts.
Penalty shoot-outs
• Poland's 5-4 success over Switzerland in the round of 16 was their first competitive shoot-out; they had earlier prevailed by the same margin against New Zealand following a 0-0 draw in a friendly tournament in Bangkok in June 1999.
• Portugal have been involved in three finals shoot-outs, winning two and losing one. At UEFA EURO 2012, they succumbed to Spain after a goalless draw, having won their previous two against England at the 2006 World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004.