Poland will look to make up ground on second place England when it takes on Moldova in the UEFA World Cup 2014 Qualifiers on Friday.
The Polish currently sit in third place with eight points in five matches. England is in second place with 12 points in six matches played; the Three Lions are idle on Friday. The first place team in the group automatically books passage to the World Cup Finals in Brazil next summer. The second place squad takes on another runner-up in a two-legged playoff; the winner moves on the Finals.
Poland started its tournament with a 2-2 draw against group leader Montenegro. In its second game, Poland took down Moldova 2-0 before drawing 1-1 with England. The team lost its first game on March 22 in a 3-1 defeat against Ukraine. Fortunately, the Poles bounced back with 5-0 win over San Marino. Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski was shutout for the first four games but managed to score a brace against San Marino. The team hopes that he will start scoring on a more consistent basis for the squad.
Moldova only has four points in six games and could see its chances of qualifying directing end if Montenegro defeats Ukraine. A loss would also put Moldova up against the wall in its final three contests. The team opened the tournament with a 5-0 loss against England and a 2-0 defeat against Poland in September 2012. October proved to be a better month as Moldova drew 0-0 with Ukraine and defeated San Marino 2-0. However, the squad has lost its last two games against Ukraine and Montenegro.
Prediction: Poland is the heavy favorite in this match. Look for the team to win 3-0.
Start Time: 2:15 PM EST
TV: TVP Sport
Watch Live Stream on ESPN3 by clicking HERE.
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