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E-mail Xinhua, October 16, 2024
The Polish men's football team rallied from a two-goal down to secure a 3-3 draw with Croatia in the UEFA Nations League at Warsaw's National Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Zlatko Dalic's side, coming off a 2-1 win over Scotland in Glasgow on Saturday, looked to continue their winning form. However, Poland started brightly, breaking the deadlock just five minutes into the match. Kacper Urbanski found Piotr Zielinski, who slotted home a well-placed shot into the far post from the left side of the box.
Croatia responded swiftly, scoring three goals in just seven minutes.
Borna Sosa equalized in the 19th minute with a perfect volley from distance before Petar Sucic guided the ball into the far corner following a well-timed pass from Martin Baturina to give Croatia a 2-1 lead.
Baturina, who assisted on the second goal, scored just two minutes later after Poland lost possession near their box. He fired a low shot through Marcin Bulka's legs to make it 3-1.
The visitors appeared to be in full control, but Poland shifted the momentum before halftime. In the 45th minute, Nicola Zalewski curled a left-footed strike into the far post, pulling one back for the hosts.
After the break, Croatia pressed for a fourth goal, but Marcin Bulka made several key saves to keep Poland's hopes alive. Michal Probierz's side gradually improved, and they were rewarded in the 68th minute.
Robert Lewandowski, who started on the bench due to a minor injury, came on and just six minutes later delivered a crucial assist. The striker set up Sebastian Szymanski, who curled a low shot into the left corner to level the score at 3-3.
Poland gained an additional boost in the 76th minute when Croatia's goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, was shown a red card for a foul on Lewandowski after rushing out of the penalty area to challenge him.
Despite having a one-man advantage, Poland was unable to find a winner, and the match ended in a 3-3 draw.
Elsewhere in Group A1, Portugal played to a 0-0 draw with Scotland on Tuesday evening, keeping them at the top of the group with 10 points. Croatia remains in second place with seven points, while Poland sits third with four points. Scotland, still winless, is last with one point.
