MARSEILLE, France — Poland will play Switzerland in the last 16 of the European Championship with a big question hanging over its head: Has star striker Robert Lewandowski left his goal-scoring boots at home?
Poland cemented its first appearance in the tournament’s knockout stage with a 1-0 win in Marseille on Tuesday against already eliminated Group C opponent Ukraine.
Usually so clinical for Bayern Munich, and the top scorer in Euro 2016 qualifying with 13 goals, Lewandowski not only failed to find the net in Poland’s three group-stage matches, he also failed to have a single shot on target.
Second-half substitute Jakub Blaszczykowski struck the winner for Poland in the 54th minute. Poland qualified second from the group behind Germany. Both finished with seven points, but Germany had a superior goal difference.
Lewandowski missed a sitter in the first half. Given time and space in front of goal by a scything pass from Arkadiusz Milik through Ukraine’s defense, he aimed for the top left-hand corner, but side-footed the ball high and wide.
Lewandowski squandered other chances, too, failing to connect with a fizzing cross from Milik and, moments later, getting tangled in his own feet in front of goal and firing weakly past Andriy Pyatov’s right-hand post.
Coach Adam Nawalka insisted that he’s not concerned, predicting that Lewandowski will score against Switzerland on Saturday in Saint-Etienne.
Instead of dwelling on Lewandowski’s drought, he focused on the striker’s link-up play with teammates, saying he is “doing a lot of fantastic work” and is “the steam power of the locomotive we have.”
“The fact that Robert Lewandowski hasn’t scored a goal yet is not a problem whatsoever for our team,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time. He’s creating more and more chances and I think he will score in the next match.”
Blaszczykowski quickly rewarded Nawalka for bringing him on for the second half, taking the wind out of Ukraine’s sails with his goal from a cleverly worked short corner.
Found with a pass from Milik, Blaszczykowski turned right then left to make space for himself and curled in a left-footed shot.
Polish fans, who comfortably outnumbered Ukrainian supporters in the 67,000-capacity Stade Velodrome, celebrated by lighting at least two flares, an action likely to bring a fine of at least 1,000 euros (US$ 1,130) for Poland from UEFA.
There were brief scuffles in Marseille’s Old Port neighborhood ahead of the match, with riot police firing tear gas and detaining at least two people after rowdy fans threw bottles, and more brief clashes outside the stadium itself, where police used a water cannon and more tear gas to disperse unruly Poland fans.
Inside the stadium, Poland was content to sit back for much of the second half, leaving Lewandowski alone up front, with little opportunity to redeem himself.
Left winger Bartosz Kapustka will be missing for Poland against Switzerland, having picked up another yellow card in the second half.
Nawalka called Switzerland, which advanced as the runner-up to France in Group A, “one of the more interesting” teams at Euro 2016, but said his squad is powered by “faith and optimism.”
“It’s great to see the team is progressing,” he said. “We haven’t conceded a goal and we are still going forward.”
Poland against Ukraine pitted two countries that have had contrasting fortunes since they co-hosted Euro 2012.
Ukrainian football has suffered in the successive waves of turmoil that have rattled the country, with two of its top four teams last season displaced by fighting with separatists in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 9,300 people.
Poland has gained in strength. Bottom of its group in both 2008 and 2012, it now advances for the first time with a team that is solid defensively, conceding no goals in Group C against Northern Ireland, Germany and Ukraine.
But it will likely need Lewandowski to start firing on all cylinders for its adventure to continue.
