Lewandowski set for Poland Vs Ukraine friendly in Wroclaw
Poland vs Ukraine arrives at Worclaw Stadium on Sunday with Jan Urban still weighing how quickly his side can move beyond Robert Lewandowski. The friendly sits inside both teams’ build-up to the next UEFA Nations League campaign, which begins in September.
Worclaw Stadium and Urban’s next test
Urban gets a useful checkpoint after Poland’s seven-game unbeaten run ended in a 3-2 defeat to Sweden. Lewandowski remains in the squad and is expected to start, but the head coach is also trying to identify a long-term successor for the forward.
That search gives the match an immediate edge for Poland. Arkadiusz Pyrka could be handed his third cap as Matty Cash’s replacement at right wing-back, while Tomasz Kedziora is an alternative to Przemyslaw Wisniewski in the back three. Michal Skoras and Filip Rozga are in contention for recalls.
Ukraine under Andrea Maldera
Ukraine come in under Andrea Maldera after Sergei Rebrov left following the 3-1 defeat to Sweden in a playoff match. Since June 10, Ukraine have recorded five wins, one draw and three defeats from nine games, with two of those losses coming against France.
Five of the players who started that defeat to Sweden in March are absent, so the lineup will look different again. Mykola Matviyenko could return at centre-back, Valeriy Bondar could move to right-back, and Mykola Shaparenko and Ruslan Malinovskyi may return.
Andriy Yarmolenko is in contention for his 125th cap, while Artem Dovbyk could get the nod over Roman Yaremchuk down the middle of the attack. Ukraine also beat Albania 1-0 in March, but this meeting with Poland carries a different edge because the sides know each other well: Poland beat Ukraine 3-1 in June 2024 and are on a three-match winning streak against them that began in 2016.
For Poland, the selection call around Lewandowski is the central item. For Ukraine, Maldera’s first major team choices will show how much the new setup can change after the managerial switch, and Sunday’s match gives both coaches one of the few live tests before September arrives.
