Talking Tactics: The stars in pole position to lighten Lewa’s load

As Poland prepares for tonight’s friendly against Scotland, there is no doubt about who their main man is — Robert Lewandowski.

The No. 9 is his country’s greatest-ever player, and he is arguably the best striker on the planet right now, but he cannot do it all on his own.

Who could Poland turn to if they want to relieve the pressure on their inspirational captain to score goals?

Lewandowski, 33, has carried a nation’s hopes in 128 appearances for Poland, scoring 74 times.

That is an impressive achievement in and of itself, but it is even more impressive when you consider the Poles are ranked 28th in the world.

As a result, Lewandowski does not enjoy the same standard of service as at Bayern Munich.

Unsurprisingly, he is Poland’s top scorer in qualification for the 2022 World Cup, bagging eight goals. 

He has also set up four, including Damian Szymanski’s stoppage-time equaliser against England in September. 

But with Lewandowski likely to be rested ahead of Poland’s World Cup play-off final against either Sweden or Czech Republic, they will be forced to look at other candidates.

Adam Buksa

With five goals in five caps so far, Adam Buksa could hardly have made a better start to his international career. 

Granted, four of those strikes came against whipping boys San Marino but the 25-year-old also scored on his debut in a 4-1 win over Albania. 

The Krakow native was in fine form domestically for New England Revolution in 2021, finishing the MLS season with 16 goals — good enough for joint-fifth in the league. 

His exploits attracted interest from Europe with a move to an unnamed club falling through on January deadline day. Hard-working and good aerially, Buksa offers a different threat to Lewandowski.

Krzysztof Piatek

Krzysztof Piatek has never quite recaptured the scintillating form he showed at Genoa in 2018. 

After AC Milan cut their losses and sold him to Hertha Berlin, the 26-year-old managed just one goal in 10 appearances for the Bundesliga strugglers earlier this season. 

But he has had no trouble finding the net since returning to Serie A to join Fiorentina on loan. 

With Dusan Vlahovic departing for Juventus, La Viola lost their chief goal threat in January. 

Piatek is doing his best to make up for that, scoring six times in 11 games since moving to Florence.

Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz will hope he can replicate that kind of form for his country — for whom he has notched nine goals in 21 caps to date.

Szymon Zurkowski

How about some goals from midfield? 

Szymon Zurkowski, 24, is enjoying a strong campaign for Empoli, bagging five goals at a rate of one roughly every four games. 

He has yet to be capped by Poland at senior level but was a regular for the Under-21s team who qualified for the 2019 U-21s European Championship. 

Highlighted as one of UEFA’s 50 for the future in 2018, Fiorentina loanee Zurkowski has an eye for goal even though he is a defensive midfielder by trade.

Matty Cash

With six assists and 47 chances created from right-back for Aston Villa since the start of last season — plus three goals for good measure — Matty Cash could provide an extra creative dimension. 

Of Polish descent through his mother, Cash made his international debut against Andorra last November having gained citizenship the previous month. 

Speaking at the time, the 24-year-old said: “It’ll be a real honour to play for this country. I’ve watched loads of games. The fans are brilliant, passionate. 

“Hopefully I can bring that to the side — passion and 100% commitment. That’s my game. 

“The squad’s brilliant and, hopefully, success is what we’re going to bring.” 

Success is still on for Poland, who are now just one game away from this year’s World Cup in Qatar — and Cash could be one member of a supporting cast with a significant part to play.