By Our Sports Desk in Warsaw
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI proved class is permanent as he dragged a stuttering Poland from the brink of disaster to within touching distance of the 2026 World Cup.
In a night of high-octane drama at the PGE Narodowy, the Barcelona talisman and midfield maestro Piotr Zielinski turned a first-half nightmare into a Polish party.
For 45 minutes, Warsaw was silenced. Albania, led by the tactical guile of Sylvinho, didn’t just come to make up the numbers. They came to gatecrash. When Arbër Hoxha pounced on a rare Jan Bednarek blunder to slot home in the 42nd minute, the “Eagles” looked set to fly into the playoff final.
But you can’t keep a world-class striker down for long. After a halftime dressing down from boss Jan Urban, Poland emerged like a team possessed.
The equalizer in the 63rd minute was vintage Lewandowski. Rising highest in a crowded box, the 37-year-old icon met Sebastian Szymanski’s pinpoint corner with a thumping header that left Thomas Strakosha clutching at thin air. It was his 89th goal for his country—and perhaps one of his most vital.
With the wind in their sails, the hosts went for the jugular. Ten minutes later, it was Piotr Zielinski’s turn to remind the world why he remains one of Europe’s elite creators.
Picking up the ball 25 yards out, the Inter Milan star unleashed a trademark right-footed rocket that fizzed into the bottom corner. The 56,000-strong crowd erupted, the roof nearly lifting off the National Stadium.
Albania threw everything forward in the dying embers—including Chelsea man Armando Broja off the bench—but the Polish wall, anchored by Jakub Kiwior, held firm.
Poland now moves into the playoff final, a winner-takes-all showdown that could secure their place on the plane to North America. Albania, meanwhile, exit with heads held high after a performance that pushed the Poles to the absolute limit.
But tonight belonged to the veterans. While the young guns like 17-year-old Oskar Pietuszewski watched from the bench, the old guard showed they’ve still got the magic.
POLAND (4-3-3): Grabara; Cash, Bednarek, Kiwior, Kedziora (Swiderski 62); Zielinski, Moder, Szymanski; Skoras, Kaminski, Lewandowski.
