The fight to advance to the knockout stage from Group C at the World Cup in Qatar continues today at 14 p.m., when Poland and Saudi Arabia meet at the "Education City" stadium.
For Česlav Mihnević's chosen team, the match is practically without a fix after a goalless draw at the start with Mexico, while Herve Renard's players are the biggest heroes of the first round, after they overcame Argentina with a turnaround.
There is no euphoria in Poland, especially because the best player Robert Lewandowski missed the opportunity to score from the penalty against Mexico, which was the better team.
Lewandowski won the penalty, but Guillermo Ochoa made the third penalty in the history of Poland's appearance at the World Cup unrealized.
The Poles resignedly note that the analysts of "FiveThirtyEight" gave their team the least chance of advancing from the group after the first round, only 35 percent. Mexico has 45, while Saudi Arabia is in the best position with 68 percent.
Argentina fell from second favorite of the World Cup to only 54 percent of the chances to reach the playoffs.
"I know what line-up we will play in and I know what changes there will be compared to the last game. But this is not the time and place to talk about it out loud," Mihnievich said at the press conference.
He was criticized in public for not having enough help in the attack, especially after Juventus goalkeeper Vojteh Šcešnji's reckless announcement that the defenders in the national team were too technically unprepared to respond to strong pressing and that is why they skipped the game with Mexico.
That's why the public is now asking Mikhnevič for more minutes for the fantastic Arkadijuš Milik and Krzysztof Piontek.
And in the camp of Saudi Arabia, and in the whole country, there are no dissonant tones. Only the word of the great Frenchman on the bench of the "green falcons" - Herve Renard - can be heard.
It is known that the team will include Al Shahrani, who suffered fractures to his jaw and facial bones in a collision with his goalkeeper in the match against Argentina. It is also known that the striking and charismatic Frenchman will again be in a white shirt...
"I won two African Cups in a white shirt and you want me to change!? During the penalty shoot-out, Ghana was leading 2-0, but we came back and I won the trophy with Ivory Coast in a white shirt. I'm too superstitious, it can't be to change," said Renar.
In the meantime, the world has changed its opinion about the quality of football in the kingdom of Salman Al Saud, who on the day after the victory over Argentina ordered a national holiday in the country, and unofficially ordered that the premium per national team player just for scalping the "gauchos" amounts to 2,5 million euros.
Quick-footed and light, technically brilliant but also tactically trained, which was confirmed by the number of offsides in which Argentina's stars were caught, Saudi Arabia's footballers showed great potential.
How much can the "Green Falcons" do against the Polish "White Eagles"?
Bookmakers trust the Poles more with odds of 1,7, while the odds on the "Green Falcons" go as high as five.
"We have a 'strange' coach, but we are ready to eat the grass from the stadium for him in order to win the game," emphasized midfielder Abduelela Al-Malki.
That the country is obsessed with football was confirmed yesterday by the sports minister's call for Cristiano Ronaldo to continue his career there because he is "an idol for the boys" in that country, and it was mentioned a long time ago that Al Nasr is ready to pay 250 million for the Portuguese's signature.
Al Hilal, which provides most of its country's representatives in Qatar, joined the fight.
Bonus video:
