Euro 2016 preview: Poland hoping to make good on sleeper status

As one of the host nations for Euro 2012, Poland was expected to progress to the knockout stages for the first time in its history. But in the end, the White Eagles fell flat, unable to be inspired by the home support.

Many of the players on that the team struggled to play regular football at the club level, and even fewer enjoyed spells with the biggest clubs.

Four years later, the story is different. Robert Lewandowski is now one of the world's premier strikers, 22-year-old Arkadiusz Milik is emerging as a perfect complement, and Grzegorz Krychowiak is a decorated midfielder who marshals three-time defending Europa League champion Sevilla.

"It never occurred to me that we would not be at the European Championship. I had a strategy, a vision of how to conduct our work. Robert gave this team a glow, but all were prominent, every cell functioned. It was a fantastic collective," said coach Adam Nawalka, who has taken Poland from 69th place in the standings to its current 27th position since being appointed in October 2013.

"We're making progress and, I will say modestly, we have not had our final say."

Group Schedule

Projected Starting XI

Poland will line up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, giving the side balance in all parts of the pitch. Krychowiak will work in tandem with Piotr Zielinski, who will have the opportunity to push forward and operate as a No. 10 behind Milik and Lewandowski. Poland's defence is also strong: Kamil Glik is a solid centre-back with a penchant for scoring off set pieces, and Lukasz Piszczek is an adventurous full-back who can overlap with former Borussia Dortmund teammate and captain Jakub Blaszczykowski.

Key Player: Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski finished Euro 2016 qualifying as the top scorer with 13 goals, and he will have to net his share in the group stage if Poland has ambitions of making good on its sleeper status. Lewandowski will undoubtedly get marked by two or three defenders at a time, and Group C opponent Germany will know all too well what to expect from the Bayern Munich striker.

But he's highly regarded by coach Nawalka, who last October anointed the 27-year-old as the "best striker in the world."

He continued: "I know him personally, I know his skills. I can count on him."

Lewandowski won't benefit from the same service he enjoys at the Allianz Arena, but he can still single-handedly dominate a game. His five-goal performance as a substitute against Wolfsburg is proof.

Breakout Star: Piotr Zielinski

Fresh off a breakout season with Serie A outfit Empoli - where he made 35 starts, scored five goals, and tallied another four assists - Zielinski is on the verge of making a big move. (Liverpool has already contacted the 22-year-old, and he will likely complete the transfer after the Euros.)

He enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Massimo Maccarone, setting up the veteran Italian striker several times. But Zielinski is also difficult to mark. Determined to make runs of his own and drift out wide, he can read the game well and adjust on the go. Where Krychowiak can recover the ball, Zielinski can redistribute it.

Tournament Expectations

A quarter-final appearance isn't above this squad, even though it failed to win any of its six group-stage matches over the past two European Championships. A semi-final berth isn't even out of the realm of possibility. These are true because of the strides Poland as a football nation has made in just a few years, with many of its starters now protagonists at big clubs. Nawalka's men are scared of no opponent - it recorded a sensational win against Germany at home in Euro qualfying - but he will need his players to show an incredible amount of unity if it's to achieve something special.