Player ratings as Lewandowski scores first World Cup goal

Poland survived a storm of Saudi Arabian pressure to earn a 2-0 group stage victory on Saturday afternoon.

The clash between Saudi Arabia’s front-foot approach – which carried them to a historic victory against Argentina earlier in the week – and Poland’s agriculture style concocted a battling contest.

Up against the hassling green shirts, Czeslaw Michniewicz’s side was all too keen to fall back upon a direct, airborne journey up the pitch.

Matty Cash combined with Przemyslaw Frankowski down the right to pick out Robert Lewandowski in the box. Poking the ball away from goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais, Lewandowski rolled a pass back for Piotr Zielinski to smash Poland into a lead against the run of play.

Krystian Bielik’s clumsy attempt to dispossess Saleh Al-Shehri was one of several mistimed tackles from the Polish contingent – however, it was the first one inside the penalty box. Salem Al-Dawsari, Saudi’s hero against Argentina, had his weak effort from 12 yards rebuffed by Wojciech Szczesny on the cusp of half-time.

Springing back to his feet, the Juventus number one tipped over Mohammed Al Burayk’s attempt on the rebound.

With one of Herve Renard’s half-time talks ringing in their ears, Saudi continued to swamp and swarm their European opponents.

Al-Dawsari, unfazed by his erroneous penalty, was a constant spoke in Poland’s wheel. Saudi’s skipper began a move that Jakub Kiwior failed to halt, clearing the ball into his own teammate before it fell to Al-Dawsari a handful of yards from goal. Yet, Szczesny was there to smother again.

Saudi Arabia scored twice against Argentina with just three shots but that clinical edge deserted them in the desert on Saturday. Renard’s side repeatedly poured forward but time and again didn’t test Poland’s resilient number one, with Mohamed Kanno and Firas Al-Buraikan guilty of blazing over.

As Saudi’s search for an equaliser became increasingly desperate, Poland surged into the widening gaps on the counter. Arkadiusz Milik cannoned a header off the crossbar before Lewandowski’s scuffed effort was tipped onto the post moments later.

A lapse in concentration in the final ten minutes from Saudi’s Abdulelah Al Malki presented Lewandowski with a golden chance to break his duck at the World Cup, Having stolen possession himself, Lewandowski tucked his first tournament goal under Al Owais.

Poland’s skipper was denied a second in the closing stages but the result had been won by his goal. Victory moved Poland above Saudi Arabia, to…