Euro 2016 Poland vs Northern Ireland, Highlights: POL Beat NIR 1-0 To Make Winning Start
Poland and Northern Ireland were locked at 0-0 at the end
- NDTVSports
- Updated: June 12, 2016 11:29 pm IST
Poland started their Euro 2016 campaign with a nervy 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in Nice. Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik scored the only goal of the match in the 51st minute. Get highlights of POL vs NIR here. (SCORECARD | SCHEDULE | STREAMING INFO | NEWS)
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Northern Ireland begin the tournament on the longest unbeaten run of all 24 teams, a 12-game streak, a record for the side.
Although only a handful of Michael O'Neill's squad play in England's Premier League, the former financial analyst has moulded a tough unyielding outfit that is dangerous from set-pieces.
Key to avoiding defeat again on Sunday will be whether centre-backs Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans, both of Premier League side West Bromwich Albion, can stifle Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski, Poland's top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals.
Poland are desperate to improve on dismal performances at the last two European Championships in 2008 and 2012 which they co-hosted with Ukraine.
They limped out bottom of the group on both occasions.
This time round, experienced attacking talents like Jakub Blaszczykowski (Fiorentina), Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund) and Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax) are all able to give opponents plenty of headaches.
Holding midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak also starred for Sevilla in their run to the Europa League title they won against Liverpool in Basle last month.
With less burden on the 27-year-old Lewandowski, who scored 42 goals in 50 games for Bayern last season, many pundits and supporters fancy the 'Bialo-Czerwoni' (White and Reds) to reach the last 16 at least.