A defensive howler and an own goal saw Poland lose 2-1 to Senegal in the final match of the first round of World Cup games.
The Poles featured a number of Serie A players, including Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and Piotr Zielinski and Arkadiusz Milik of Napoli.
It was the African side who started on the front foot though, with Torino’s M’Baye Niang failing to pick out a man in the middle after a good run down the left.
They took a deserved lead just after the half hour mark, but it was a nightmare for Spal defender Thiago Cionek.
A defensive howler and an own goal saw Poland lose 2-1 to Senegal in the final match of the first round of World Cup games.
The Poles featured a number of Serie A players, including Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and Piotr Zielinski and Arkadiusz Milik of Napoli.
It was the African side who started on the front foot though, with Torino’s M’Baye Niang failing to pick out a man in the middle after a good run down the left.
They took a deserved lead just after the half hour mark, but it was a nightmare for Spal defender Thiago Cionek.
Sadio Mane squared the ball for Idrissa Gueye outside the box, and his shot took a deflection off Cionek and spun past Szczesny.
Poland had failed to get star man Robert Lewandowski into the action, but he was brought down on the edge of the box by Salif Sane.
The Bayern Munich striker took the kick himself, but it was well saved by Khadim N’Diaye.
The Poles were pushing hard to find an equaliser, but they shot themselves in the foot with a quite extraordinary defensive mix-up.
Gregorz Krychowiak inexplicably lofted the ball back into his own half, where Niang had just returned to the pitch after injury.
Jan Bednarek appeared not to notice the Granata forward, so Szczesny ran out to try and clear himself.
The Juve man didn’t get there though, and Niang was left with an easy finish for 2-0.
Ismaïla Sarr went down in the box claiming for a penalty, but his appeals were rightly waved away.
With the minutes ticking away, Poland resorted to a more direct style of play and they halved the deficit with 86 minutes on the clock.
Kamil Grosicki swung a free-kick into the box, and Krychowiak was unmarked to meet with with a fantastic header.
N’Diaye made an important catch from a corner in injury time, and Senegal held on for what could prove a crucial win.
Poland 1-2 Senegal
Cionek OG 37 (S) Niang 60 (S) Krychowiak 86 (P)
Poland: Szczesny; Piszczek (Bereszynski, 83), Cionek, Pazdan, Rybus; Krychowiak, Zielinski; Blaszczykowski (Bednarek, 46), Milik (Kownacki, 73), Grosicki; Lewandowski
Senegal: K. N’Diaye; Wague, Koulibaly, Sane, Sabaly; Mane, A. N’Diaye (Kouyate, 87), Gueye, Sarr; Diouf (N’Doye, 62), Niang (Konate, 75)