PZPN

“In the first half, we gave the hosts a bit too much space. They managed to launch a few counter-attacks and had moments when they got close to our penalty area. Although they didn’t create any clear chances, they felt they could. This was due to the fact that our pressing wasn’t good enough. In the second half, we improved that aspect and didn’t let the Lithuanians create anything at all. We, on the other hand, could have scored more goals,” the 63-year-old coach assessed. “It was hard to be satisfied after the match against New Zealand, but I’ve been pleased with our other performances. Today Lithuania didn’t make things too difficult for us, but that was mainly because we played well and didn’t allow ourselves to get drawn into their long-ball style. The next match, against the Netherlands, will give us more answers. Against a team like that, you have to perform at your very best if you want to get any points. I’m really looking forward to that match.”

On Sunday, Sebastian Szymański produced a very strong performance after coming under criticism from some fans and pundits following Thursday’s match against New Zealand, with a few even questioning his place in the starting line-up. However, the head coach, who had already defended the Fenerbahçe midfielder that same evening, decided to stick with him in Kaunas, and Szymański returned the favour with an excellent display, crowned by a goal and an assist. “I didn’t judge him the same way others did after the New Zealand match. There were so many changes in that game – it’s never easy to perform comfortably in such circumstances. That’s why he didn’t stand out as much as he did today. Against Lithuania, we went back to the same system and line-up we used in September, and Seba performed as we had hoped. He also took a few heavy knocks – there were plenty of fouls on him,” the coach noted. Before the game, Urban admitted he was unsure whether to start Szymański or Karol Świderski. “I’m convinced that Świder would have done well too. I’ve seen the form he’s in. We also considered playing both of them together,” he added.

The result brought a perfect end to Poland’s October international break. The White and Reds have taken a big step towards securing a play-off place and are still fighting to be drawn from the first pot. Everything will be decided in November’s qualifying fixtures – both in Poland’s group and across the others. “At this moment I’m not yet thinking about the match against the Netherlands. I’ll start doing that next week. We already know that two players will be unavailable, so we’ll need to make changes. I just hope everyone stays fit in November so we don’t have to make too many more changes. We’ll need to play really well against a side like the Netherlands. If we want to beat them, we have to be more open, but if we do that, they might be even more dangerous than they were at home. It will be a great experience either way. We’ll see whether the Netherlands allow us to control possession, because they’re a team that’s very hard to take the ball from. For now, we’re pleased with a convincing victory in a stadium where every team has struggled recently. We won comfortably – and the scoreline could have been even higher,” Urban concluded.

In October’s competitive fixture, the coach made just one change compared to the September matches: Michał Skóraś, who wasn’t in the squad a month ago, replaced the injured Nicola Zalewski. “His eagerness to make an impression sometimes worked against him, although overall he had a decent game. He was given a chance to start in a competitive match, and that often leads to decisions that aren’t quite as composed as they should be,” the manager assessed. Finally, Urban addressed the ongoing search for options in the number six position. “We’re always looking. We know who we have in that position at the moment, but we need to find solutions. Things can change a lot in a month. Everyone knows we’re missing Kuba Moder. Maybe he’ll recover, regain his form and return to the national team. Sooner or later, that will happen,” he concluded.