After Lionel Messi, it was another cador of world football who appeared in the tournament: Robert Lewandowski, best Fifa player in 2020 and 2021, was to put the Polish selection on the right track, which has been chasing after a qualification in the eighth for three decades in the World Cup, but it was Mexico who dominated the debates on Tuesday November 22 without managing to concretize their domination.
If the match promised to be balanced on paper between two teams of the same level, it was quickly the Mexicans who showed themselves to be the most enterprising.
From the 4th minute, Lozano escapes the marking on the right side and delivers a very strong cross to the far post that Chavez fails to take back.
La Verde controls the rhythm of the meeting while the Poles try to proceed on the counter.
But the two teams lack technical accuracy and the long balls which do not find takers multiply.
25th minute of play: new alert for the Polish goal.
On a cross from Herrera, Vega tries a lobbed header in a complicated position but the ball goes just wide of the post.
A minute later, Mexico came close to opening the scoring again but Szczesny, the Polish goalkeeper, came out well to hinder Gallardo from deep.
Lewandowski, cursed in the World Cup?
On the Polish side, the offensives are too messy to be able to worry the emblematic goalkeeper of the Mexican selection, Mémo Ochoa, who is playing his fifth World Cup under the colors of the "Verde".
A regular at the World Cups, Mexico has always succeeded since 1978 in getting out of the group stage.
Well taken by the green hinge and forced to play most of the time with his back to goal, the evening promises to be complicated for Robert Lewandowski who, as too often in the selection, will have to fend for himself.
54 ': after a ball lost by Alvarez, Lewandowski makes speak his power and collapses in the surface after a duel with Moreno.
The penalty is awarded to Poland against the run of play.
We then say that nothing can prevent the FC Barcelona striker from scoring his first goal in the World Cup, he who remained silent during the last World Cup in Russia.
Nothing, except Memo Ochoa.
The former doorman of Ajaccio relaxes at full speed to take out a penalty yet well struck on the right side.
Galvanized by the magnificent stop of their captain and the support of their public who came in large numbers to the Khalifa International Stadium, the Mexicans set off again to attack the Polish goal but lacked precision in the last gesture.
The match was interrupted by numerous faults and the chances were rare except for this attempt by Kaminski at the end of the race, easily captured by Ochoa.
The two teams leave with a goalless draw, the second of the day after Denmark-Tunisia in group D, that of the France team which enters this Tuesday evening in the competition against Australia.
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