Mexico vs Poland 11/22/22 World Cup Soccer Picks, Predictions, Odds

Mexico and Poland face off on Tuesday to kick off their World Cup in a Group C Soccer showdown at Stadium 974. This game could be key in who advances out of this group. 

Mexico hopes that Gerardo Martino will be the coach that can finally bring the team past the round of 16. Mexico wasn’t exactly dominant in the World Cup qualifying and there is some concern about the team heading into this one. Mexico faced off against Sweden last Wednesday, and they were defeated 2-1. They had 65 percent of the possession and seven shots on target, but it wasn’t enough. A goal given up in the 84th minute led to the loss. Striker Raul Jimenez is still dealing with a groin injury, and it’s unclear his status for the game. It seems unlikely that he will start, but there is a chance that he could come off the bench. If he can’t go, it will be Henry Martin that is expected to move into the starting lineup. 

On the other side of this matchup is Poland, who had to win a qualifying match to even make the tournament. Last Wednesday, Poland faced off against Chile, and they were able to secure a 1-0 victory. Poland only had 26 percent of the possession, but they scored in the 86th minute to secure the win. In this game, if they want any chance to secure a victory, they are going to need to have more possession. If they struggle to control the pace, it’s goings to be a long game. Bartlomiej Dragowski, Jacek Goralski, and Adam Buksa are all dealing with injuries and had to pull out of the tournament. Robert Lewandowski is the star of the team, and they are going to need him to have some good scoring chances here. 

This is a huge match for both teams, and I think both teams are going to play tight early. I do have concerns about Jimenez and even if he does play, he’s not going to be 100 percent. Lewandowski is going to get the monkey off his back, and put at least one goal in the back of the net. Mexico is not going to have many quality scoring chances, and Poland will get the job done. Back Poland on the money line.