Soccer-Late qualifiers Poland aim to defy odds
(Reuters) - Many Polish fans had envisioned supporting a different team than their own in Germany before striker Robert Lewandowski's side turned a lacklustre Euro 2024 qualifying campaign into a last-minute ticket, possibly already exceeding local expectations.

Poland were the last team to qualify for the finals when they edged Wales 5-4 on penalties in the playoffs after failing to book a spot directly from a group in which they finished third behind Albania and Czech Republic.

Winning just three of their eight qualifying games, they were close to missing out on the Euro finals for the first time since their debut appearance in 2008.

But drawn into one of the toughest groups with twice European champions France, the Netherlands and Austria, all ranked above them, Poland will face a difficult road to progress to the knockout rounds.

Challenging Austria, whom they face after playing the Netherlands, to try to qualify as one of the best third-place teams could be their best bet of making progress.

However, with Poland's qualification to compete amongst Europe's 24 best teams having already been a late and rather unexpected feat, being freed from the weight of expectation may be just what the country needs to spring another surprise.

The Poles still vividly remember their best performance to date which came in 2016, when they defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals in France.

Having finished above Ukraine and Northern Ireland and earned a goalless draw with Germany in the group stage, they beat Switzerland on penalties in the last 16 before being eliminated in a shootout by eventual champions Portugal.

However, scoring may again prove a tricky task for the nation despite having one of Europe's best strikers in Lewandowski.

Poland reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with only four goals in regular time and the most recent 2022 World Cup saw them progress to the last 16 as they scored only three times.

But Poland's new coach Michal Probierz said his team were ready for a battle.

"We want to play football at these Euros, we don't want to go there just to go on tour," he said. "We want to play a very good tournament, get out of the group and fight for something more."

Probierz, in charge since March, is Poland's fifth coach in three years and will lead the country at their fifth Euros.

(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
(Reuters) -     Many Polish fans had envisioned supporting a different team than their own in Germany before striker Robert Lewandowski's side turned a lacklustre Euro 2024 qualifying campaign into a last-minute ticket, possibly already exceeding local expectations.