Poland v Saudi Arabia Betting Tips [26 November 2022]
Football - World Cup
26 November 2022 8:00
The match
The second round of Group C in the 2022 FIFA World Cup sees Saudi Arabia facing off against Poland at the Education City Stadium Al Rayyan. Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history when they dispatched of Argentina by a 2-1 scoreline in their opening match of the tournament. The result sees the Green Falcons presented with a golden opportunity to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since 1994 when they were sent home by Sweden in the round of 16. Standing in their way is a Poland side coming off a 0-0 draw against Mexico in their Group C opening match. The Poles were gifted a penalty in the second half of play but all-time leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski would ultimately be denied from the spot by Guillermo Ochoa to preserve the 0-0 scoreline and help secure a point for the Mexicans.¿
Saudi Arabia manager Herve Renard’s massive upset over Argentina had been three years in the making. The Frenchman took over the post as Saudi Arabia boss in July of 2019 and in that time has managed to lift the team from 70th in the FIFA rankings to their current standing of 51st. The 54-year-old has a record of 17 wins, 10 draws and only five defeats as manager of the Green Falcons following the historic victory over one of the tournament favorites in Argentina. Renard has successfully implemented a hard-nosed defensive solidity within the team which has seen the Saudis concede just 18 goals in his 32 matches in charge of the team. It’s very likely we see another stingy display on the defensive side of the ball from Saudi Arabia, especially when coming up against a Poland side that looked bereft of attacking ideas against Mexico. The Biało-czerwoni often resorted to long balls into the box and seemingly lacked the attacking acumen to provide enough support to Barcelona hitman Robert Lewandowsi. There’s a good chance we see another low-scoring match involving Poland against a solid Saudi Arabian defense,Key Statistics
- There have been under 2.5 goals scored in five consecutive matches for Poland.
- Poland were quite poor from open play in the draw against Mexico, managing only six shots, 39% possession and their only clear cut scoring chance came from the penalty spot.
- Saudi Arabia have gone 12 straight matches conceding a maximum of only one goal.
- Saudi Arabia has kept five clean sheets over their last 12 matches, conceding a total of only seven goals.
The bet of our experts
We’re going to back under 2.5 goals scored as our bet for this match. As with most Saudi Arabia matches under Renard, expect another cagey affair here. The Saudis will be disciplined and well-drilled and should cause this Poland team problems breaking them down. The Poles lacked inventiveness on the attacking side of the ball against Mexico and we don’t expect too much to change in the four days in between these two matches. They were solid enough on the defensive side, keeping Mexico relatively quiet with only one clear cut change created. Poland will know they will have to get three points here if they are to qualify with a matchup against Argentina looming, but will likely find it tough against this well-coached Saudi Arabia side. A side bet of Saudi Arabia on the double chance could be another profitable angle to take in this one.
If you want more information and predictions, check out the Poland vs Saudi Arabia prediction and betting tips at Sportytrader.
